Uber Eats launches AI cart assistant for grocery delivery

In this articleUber Eats is bringing artificial intelligence to your next grocery shopping list.The ride-hailing company said on Wednesday that its food delivery platform is debuting a new AI assistant that lets customers build a shopping cart using text or images, like handwritten grocery lists. Uber is offering the feature through dozens of large retailers, including Safeway, Albertsons and Kroger. The tool accounts for item preferences and store availability and allows users to edit selections, the company said. "Cart Assistant reflects how we think about AI at Uber: starting with real customer needs and building practical solutions within the app," said Praveen Neppalli Naga, Uber's technology, said in a release. "By grounding these features in real user behavior, we can build tools that feel helpful and intuitive."Uber and its rivals in food delivery and ride-hailing have been adding more AI features to enhance their platforms for customers and businesses. In July, Uber launched new tools for restaurants, including AI-powered menu descriptions and customer review summaries.Uber and DoorDash have launched aggressive expansions into grocery delivery, in a direct challenge to Instacart. Both companies started offering the service in 2020 during the height of the Covid pandemic. In recent months, Uber has been introducing more partners, including Aldi and FreshDirect. Last week, the company said it added five new stores.Gross bookings in the delivery business grew 26% from a year earlier to $25.4 billion in the fourth quarter. WATCH: Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi on Q4 resultsGot a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you.Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inboxGet this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services.© 2026 Versant Media, LLC.

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