DoorDash announced on Thursday the launch of 'Ask DoorDash,' an AI chatbot that lets users order food and groceries using text prompts and photos. The feature aims to simplify the shopping experience by allowing users to describe their needs rather than manually building a cart. With 'Ask DoorDash,' users can share recipe links, describe their desired meal, or provide details about their reservation needs. According to DoorDash, the chatbot is designed for moments when users do not know the exact restaurant or store they are looking for. 'Traditional search works best when you know the exact restaurant or table you’re looking for,' the company wrote in its blog post. 'Ask DoorDash is designed for the moments when you don’t.'
The chatbot can build a grocery cart based on a photo from a cookbook, a grocery list, or a recipe. DoorDash will add all the items and their correct quantities to the cart and prompt users to check if they already have staples like sugar and butter to avoid unnecessary purchases. Users can also ask the chatbot to reorder their last grocery cart or suggest new items based on previous orders. For food orders, users can describe their needs, such as a 'filling dinner for a family of 4,' and the app will surface matching restaurants with personalized explanations. Users can further refine results with queries like 'Show me kid-friendly vegetarian spots with mild options.'
DoorDash said the chatbot is rolling out on iOS in select regions for restaurant search and grocery shopping, and within DoorDash Reservations. It will reach more users across the U.S. in the coming weeks. The company noted that food delivery apps and tech giants are betting that AI can make shopping more conversational and personalized as AI assistants become a standard part of everyday life. In February, Uber Eats launched an AI-powered 'Cart Assistant,' while Instacart has rolled out an AI shopping assistant for grocers.
Source: techcrunch
