Instacart is the latest app to incorporate a conversational AI assistant into its platform. The company on Wednesday announced the launch of Clementine, a new AI-powered grocery shopping assistant that can turn conversations, grocery lists, and recipes into a ready-to-buy cart.
With Clementine, users can decide what to make for dinner, simplify grocery shopping, and stay on budget, the company says. For example, a user can ask the assistant a question like, “I need a week’s worth of budget-friendly lunches for my kids,” “I want an easy high-protein dinner for two,” or “I’d like to order something from my usual menu.”
It’s worth noting that Instacart isn’t the only delivery app using AI to simplify grocery shopping for users. Uber Eats and DoorDash have both introduced similar AI assistants that can turn natural language requests and grocery lists into personalized carts.
The rise of AI assistants shows that delivery apps no longer just want to be where people find and buy groceries, but also where they make decisions before they buy. These platforms are now competing not only on delivery speed and variety, but also on becoming households’ default planning tool when it comes to grocery shopping. Additionally, it aims to keep users using its own app for grocery shopping and meal planning, rather than relying on popular AI chatbots like ChatGPT.
Instacart says Clementine can generate personalized recipes and publish recipes from trusted publishers. We also provide recommendations tailored to each family’s preferences, including dietary needs such as gluten-free, vegetarian, nut-free, and organic.
The AI assistant will also show you relevant deals and promotions while suggesting lower-cost alternatives. Additionally, users can upload a photo of a handwritten grocery list or a screenshot of a digital grocery list, which Clementine can turn into a cart.
“Every night, millions of families ask the same question: ‘What’s for dinner?’ Not knowing the answer, let alone what to buy, is one of the most universal human experiences, and it’s the problem Instacart was built to solve,” Instacart CEO Chris Rogers said in an emailed press release. “We have spent nearly 15 years learning how families shop and eat, and Clementine is leveraging that knowledge.”
Clementine is currently available in the United States and Canada.
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