An artificial intelligence chatbot being developed by Uber Technologies Inc. is set to provide recommendations to food-delivery customers and streamline the ordering process, as the competition to integrate AI into popular apps heats up.
Hidden within the code of Uber’s Eats app, details of the upcoming program were discovered, giving a glimpse into a feature that has yet to be officially announced. When activated by a user, the chatbot will display a message saying that the “AI assistant was designed to help you find relevant restaurant dishes and more,” according to information found in the code. Developer Steve Moser stumbled upon this information and shared it with Bloomberg News.
Earlier this month, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi revealed in an interview with Bloomberg Television that the company was working on an AI chatbot, but refrained from divulging specific capabilities. He did mention that Uber has already been utilizing AI to match users with drivers and couriers.
The Uber Eats platform, responsible for approximately one-third of Uber’s total revenue, faces competition from DoorDash Inc. and Instacart, which are also integrating AI to enhance their food delivery services. DoorDash has been developing a system called DashAI, while Instacart is creating a chatbot using OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology. Instacart, the largest online grocery delivery company in the United States, is also preparing for an initial public offering, further highlighting its technological initiatives.
The Uber chatbot will prompt customers to input their desired budget and food preferences, assisting them in placing an order more efficiently. The exact public launch date of the system is still unknown. A representative from Uber, headquartered in San Francisco, declined to comment on the matter. – Bloomberg
Credit: The Star : Tech Feed
