Uber has unveiled a new AI-powered feature, named ‘Cart Assistant,’ within its Uber Eats app, aimed at enhancing the grocery shopping experience. The Cart Assistant allows users to create a grocery list through text prompts or by uploading an image of their shopping list, leveraging AI technology to populate their cart with preferred items based on past orders. Users can expect future enhancements, such as recipe suggestions, meal plans, and expanded support for additional retail partners.
While Uber advises users to verify the selections made by the Cart Assistant before finalizing orders, the feature is initially accessible at select grocery stores, including Albertsons, Aldi, CVS, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts, Walgreen, and Wegmans, with plans to incorporate more stores in the future. Uber has not confirmed whether OpenAI’s technology powers the chatbot, but the company has disclosed that the Cart Assistant utilizes both publicly available LLM models and Uber’s proprietary AI stack.
Uber’s strategic focus on AI-driven advancements extends beyond grocery shopping, with recent initiatives including collaborations on robotaxis with Waymo and the deployment of sidewalk delivery robots in various cities. Furthermore, Uber has reestablished its AI Labs to foster partnerships within its ecosystem, emphasizing innovation and technological evolution.
Source: The Verge