DoorDash Inc. has unveiled a new in-app artificial intelligence chatbot designed to assist customers with restaurant and grocery orders, while also hinting at potential enterprise revenue streams from the technology.
Introducing Ask DoorDash
The chatbot, named 'Ask DoorDash,' leverages a combination of AI models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Alphabet Inc.'s Google. Users can access the tool via the 'Ask' button in the app's search bar, interacting through voice, written prompts, or visual inputs. Responses include buttons that allow direct addition of items to the shopping cart.
Personalized Recommendations
Recommendations are based on customers' past purchase behavior, as well as internet sources like social media reviews and blog posts. For grocery inquiries, the chatbot confirms pantry staples already on hand before adding ingredients. Initially available on Apple's iOS in select markets, the tool focuses on restaurant search and grocery shopping, with plans to expand to more U.S. users and add restaurant reservation capabilities in the coming weeks.
Early Success and Business Impact
Early user tests indicate tangible business gains, according to co-founder Andy Fang. 'We're seeing customers trying out new restaurants much more frequently through this experience than anything else we've tried,' he said. Nearly half of all takeout orders made with the tool were from places customers had never ordered from before. On the grocery side, baskets built with the tool are over 35% larger than typical orders, and customers build carts five times faster.
Enterprise Opportunities
Fang suggested DoorDash is ready to sell its AI technology, including the chatbot, to corporate customers for use under their own brands. This positions DoorDash to compete with Instacart, which offers enterprise services for grocers like Kroger and Costco. 'Given all the technology we've invested, we're also excited to partner directly with grocers, restaurants, and retailers to help them power their own agentic experiences,' Fang added.
Industry Context
DoorDash, the largest food delivery app by U.S. market share, joins peers in leveraging data on menus, grocery items, stock levels, and order history. In April, Uber Technologies Inc. updated its search bar to interpret natural language for rides and takeout. Uber Eats also offers an AI-based Cart Assistant, while Instacart accepts natural language search and provides conversational cart-building within ChatGPT and Claude apps.
