Consumers will soon be able to order food and make restaurant reservations by talking to a chatbot.
AI company OpenAI this week announced that it is integrating popular apps into its ChatGPT program, allowing consumers to “chat” with the apps to help book a trip, listen to music or order food.
Seven apps are already available within ChatGPT, including Expedia, Zillow and Spotify, and more will be coming in the next few weeks, including DoorDash, Uber Eats, OpenTable and Instacart.
Users will first have to connect the apps to their ChatGPT account and then will be able to call them up by name. Or, ChatGPT will simply suggest one if it senses that it might be useful.
For instance, Uber Eats said ChatGPT will “detect when a user wants to place an Uber Eats order,” and then confirm their delivery address. It will then show nearby restaurants and menu options. To order, customers can launch the Uber Eats app from ChatGPT.
Users will be able to browse restaurants on Uber Eats within ChatGPT. | Courtesy of Uber
For the roughly 800 million people who use ChatGPT, the update creates a new starting point for food ordering. And it gives them a new, more conversational way to explore restaurants. Rather than typing something into a search engine or scrolling through a delivery app, they can go back and forth with the chatbot to find out what’s available and narrow down their options.
The news raises some fresh questions for restaurant operators, who are still working to master the ever-shifting worlds of search engine optimization and third-party marketplaces.
For instance, how will restaurants and delivery apps be prioritized on ChatGPT? And who owns the data that is captured in those conversations and those orders?
Answers to those questions were not immediately forthcoming from OpenAI, Uber Eats and DoorDash on Tuesday.
Sachin Kansal, chief product officer for Uber, said the company was excited to “bring the ease of Uber and Uber Eats to more people.”
“Soon, you’ll be able to see fare ranges, ETAs, and browse restaurants right in ChatGPT before seamlessly finishing your trip or order in the Uber apps,” he said in a statement. “We can’t wait for people to try it and tell us what they think.”
DoorDash in a statement also said it was excited to partner with OpenAI to bring more convenience to consumers.
“We look forward to sharing more information on what this collaboration means for consumers in the near future,” the company said.
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