Currently out as a beta version, the tool is now live within the Uber Eats app. It aims to reduce friction between idea and checkout and help users save time in ordering groceries.
Built around real customer feedback, the feature focuses on saving time while personalizing the shopping experience through automation and familiarity with past purchases.
TL;DR
- Uber Eats launches AI-powered Cart Assistant in beta within its app
- Users can type or upload grocery lists, including handwritten notes and recipe screenshots
- Tool auto-fills carts based on availability and past orders
- Part of Uber’s broader push into practical, in-app AI features
The new Cart Assistant is embedded directly into the Uber Eats grocery interface. Users begin by searching for their preferred grocery store within the app and tapping a purple Cart Assistant icon on the store’s page.
From there, shoppers can either type out their grocery list or upload an image. The system accepts photos of handwritten notes and screenshots of recipe ingredient lists, automatically identifying and adding the required items to the cart.
The assistant factors in product availability, displaying store-level pricing and applicable promotions in real time. Once items are added, customers retain full control, allowing them to swap brands, remove products, or add additional items manually.
According to Uber CTO Praveen Neppalli Naga, the feature was developed in response to user demand for faster shopping workflows.
“Users were telling us they wanted a quicker way to shop, and we know how precious your time is,” he said. “Cart Assistant helps you get from idea to checkout in seconds.”
Uber Eats' Cart Assistant Uses Past Orders To Personalize Grocery Shopping
Personalization is central to the feature’s design. Cart Assistant draws on previous purchases to prioritize familiar selections, such as a customer’s usual milk brand or preferred oatmeal.
This reduces repetitive search behavior and mirrors in-store habits, creating a more intuitive digital shopping journey. Uber describes this beta rollout as an early step in applying agentic AI to practical use cases within its ecosystem.
The company says its broader AI strategy focuses on solving everyday tasks inside the app rather than building standalone experimental tools. Cart Assistant reflects that approach by embedding automation directly into an existing workflow that customers already use frequently.
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Uber Eats Expands AI Capabilities Amid Growing Competition
The launch also positions Uber Eats more competitively in a market where AI-assisted shopping is becoming standard.
In 2023, Instacart introduced an AI-powered search tool using OpenAI’s ChatGPT to generate personalized recommendations. That same year, DoorDash reportedly tested DashAI, a chatbot designed to assist with ordering.
In the same year, Uber Eats was developing an AI chatbot capable of asking users about budget and food preferences before helping place orders, signaling long-term ambitions in conversational commerce.
Both Uber Eats and DoorDash integrated with ChatGPT last year to simplify food ordering. Uber Eats enabled U.S. users to browse local restaurants and menus within ChatGPT before completing purchases in the Uber Eats app. DoorDash’s integration allows users to generate meal plans and automatically populate carts with required ingredients.
Uber Eats' new Cart Assistant feature builds on that momentum while extending Uber’s AI investments beyond consumer-facing tools. The company has also introduced AI-generated menu descriptions, enhanced food imagery, and automated customer review summaries for merchants.
“AI tools are everywhere. At Uber, we’re focused on building AI features that genuinely make everyday tasks easier for our users. That’s the thinking behind our newest addition to Uber Eats: Cart Assistant,” said Naga.
With Cart Assistant now live in beta, Uber Eats is signaling that its AI roadmap centers on practical utility, incremental improvement, and seamless integration within the app.
As the feature gathers user feedback, Uber says it plans to refine and expand the experience over time.
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