Uber Eats has introduced a new AI-powered feature named “Cart Assistant,” designed to streamline the grocery shopping experience for its users. The new tool, currently available in beta, aims to help customers fill their shopping carts more efficiently by automating the process of adding items.
How The Cart Assistant Works
To access the feature, users can select a grocery store within the Uber Eats app and tap the “Cart Assistant” icon. The chatbot interface then allows customers to input their grocery needs in various formats.
Users can type a shopping list directly or upload an image, such as a photo of a handwritten list or a screenshot of a recipe. The AI assistant processes this input and automatically populates the shopping cart with the corresponding items. From there, customers can review and customize their cart, swapping products for preferred brands or adding additional items before checkout.
Personalization and The Competitive Edge
The Cart Assistant enhances the user experience by leveraging past order data to prioritize familiar items, such as a user’s go-to milk brand or favorite cereal. This personalization aims to make repeat shopping quicker and more intuitive.
“Users were telling us they wanted a quicker way to shop, and we know how precious your time is,” said Uber CTO Praveen Neppalli Naga. “Cart Assistant helps you get from idea to checkout in seconds.”
This move places Uber Eats in direct competition with other delivery platforms that are integrating AI. Instacart launched a ChatGPT-powered search tool in 2023 for personalized recommendations, and DoorDash has also been testing its own AI chatbot, underscoring a broader industry trend towards AI-driven convenience.
Relevance for the MENA Market
The launch of Uber Eats’ AI Cart Assistant signals a significant trend that is highly relevant to the competitive q-commerce and food delivery landscape in the MENA region. As global players like Uber introduce sophisticated AI tools, it sets a new benchmark for customer experience that regional leaders such as Talabat, Careem, and Noon Food will likely need to address.
For MENA startups in the delivery space, this development highlights the growing importance of investing in AI and machine learning to retain a competitive edge. The ability to offer personalized, hyper-efficient shopping experiences could become a key differentiator in a market where convenience is paramount. This move could accelerate the adoption of similar AI-powered features among local platforms, driving innovation across the region’s tech ecosystem.
About Uber Eats
Uber Eats is a global online food ordering and delivery platform launched by Uber in 2014. It allows users to order food from local restaurants and have it delivered to their doorstep. The service has since expanded to include grocery and convenience store deliveries, operating in hundreds of cities worldwide.
Source: TechCrunch
