Just Eat launches AI assistant to help users overcome menu anxiety and choice overload

Facing menu anxiety? Just Eat launches AI chatbot to help pick a food delivery

Delivery firm aims to overcome 'choice overload' using voice assistant in its UK app, with global rollout planned In the beginning, collecting a takeaway was the epitome of a lazy night in. Then delivery apps saved some more energy. Now, consumers can skip even bothering to read the menu as AI takes over the job of choosing the perfect evening meal. Just Eat is rolling out an AI voice assistant that lets customers discuss what they might be interested in eating, and then offers personalised recommendations. The food delivery company is launching what it calls a "personal food concierge" within Just Eat's existing chat function on its UK app on Tuesday. The voice assistant has been designed to understand whatever culinary desires customers are trying to ask, even it is a "rambling stream of consciousness". "No matter how you ask, you get exactly what you're craving," the company said. "The assistant cuts through the noise to deliver accurate, meaningful answers." Just Eat said the app era had aggregated such an overwhelming number of takeaway options for consumers to consider that they now face the dilemma of "choice overload". "[This is] designed to make deciding 'what's for dinner?' more intuitive than ever before," the company said. "With the addition of conversational abilities, it streamlines the checkout process and offers tailored recommendations based on genuine interaction." The chatbot can communicate in dozens of languages and its accent can be personalised. Just Eat said that the voice-activated AI assistant also "significantly enhances" the ordering experience for users with mobility or visual impairments. "This custom-built conversational assistant represents a major step forward, making our service more intuitive and accessible," said Mert Öztekin, the chief technology officer at Just Eat. "We are harnessing the power of AI to empower everyday convenience across our entire network." Just Eat is launching the new AI assistant in the UK first, before a wider international rollout during this year. The AI assistant can also be used to ask for recommendations from the 100,000 partners in the retail, pharmacy and beauty sectors that are available through the Just Eat app. The company, which operates in 16 countries, has partnerships with brands including Superdrug, Sainsbury's, Asda, Waitrose and the electronics retailer CeX. Research conducted by Ofcom, the media and telecoms regulator, last year found that 38% of homes with smart speakers used them to seek answers to questions.

What's for dinner? Just Eat launches AI assistant to tackle dilemma

The AI can understand user questions and recommend meals, restaurants, or grocery products tailored to their needs. An artificial intelligence food assistant is being pitched as the latest solution to the nightly question: what's for dinner? Food delivery app Just Eat Takeaway.com is launching an AI-powered voice assistant that helps users find meals, restaurants, and even retail and pharmacy products. The tool allows people to ask broad or specific questions, even if their requests are vague or unstructured, in more than a dozen languages, the company says. In a promotional video, the AI assistant is shown adding all the ingredients needed to make a carbonara to a shopping basket, before suggesting nearby restaurants where the dish could be ordered instead. The company says the feature is designed to reduce what it calls "choice overload," the difficulty of making decisions when faced with thousands of options on a single platform. Just Eat said that the AI's blended interaction model, which allows users to switch between voice and touch control, could be beneficial for individuals with visual impairments or limited mobility. Just Eat Takeaway.com is the latest food and delivery company to experiment with AI-driven assistance. Fast food chains such as Popeyes are reportedly testing AI systems in the United Kingdom, including voice technology, for drive-thru ordering. Just Eat's AI voice assistant is only available in the UK, but the company said there are plans to roll it out internationally later this year. "We are harnessing the power of AI to empower everyday convenience across our entire network," said Mert Öztekin, Just Eat's chief technology officer. "From intuitive customer personalisation and partner success to smarter logistics, we are embedding automation into every interaction to deliver a seamless, efficient journey that creates real value for everyone," he added.