Uber Eats announced a new AI feature called “Cart Assistant” on Wednesday, designed to fill grocery carts faster and more easily. The beta version is now available in the Uber Eats app.
To use the chatbot, users search for a grocery store in the app and tap the purple Cart Assistant icon on the store’s page.
Customers can type a grocery list or upload an image of a list; Cart Assistant automatically adds the required items to the basket. The image‑upload feature accepts handwritten lists and screenshots of recipes or ingredient lists.
After the basket is generated, users may swap items for preferred brands or add additional products from the same store. Uber Eats notes that Cart Assistant leverages a customer’s past orders to prioritize familiar items such as a regular milk or favorite oatmeal, creating a more personalized experience.
Video: Uber
“Users were telling us they wanted a quicker way to shop, and we know how precious your time is,” Uber CTO Praveen Neppalli Naga said. “Cart Assistant helps you get from idea to checkout in seconds.”
The launch positions Uber Eats to compete with other delivery and grocery apps that are adding AI chatbots. Instacart introduced an AI search tool powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2023, and DoorDash was reported to be testing an AI chatbot called DashAI that same year.
Last year both Uber Eats and DoorDash integrated with ChatGPT to streamline food ordering. In the United States, Uber Eats users can browse local restaurants and menus within ChatGPT and then complete the purchase in the Uber Eats app, while DoorDash users can request meal plans and have the necessary ingredients automatically added to their cart.
