Amazon’s latest enhancement to Alexa+, the next-gen AI assistant, introduces a new feature enabling users to order food via Uber Eats and Grubhub through conversational interactions, similar to speaking with a waiter or placing a drive-thru order. This update aims to provide a more natural and interactive ordering experience. Starting today, users can request cuisines, explore menus, ask questions, and customize their orders within a single conversation. Changes to orders, like adding dessert or adjusting quantities, can be made instantly.
To use this feature, users must link their Grubhub or Uber Eats account through the Alexa app. Once linked, previous orders sync automatically, making reordering favorite meals and discovering new restaurants easy. Users can simply request, “I want to order Italian for delivery,” and Alexa+ will guide them through restaurant options. Once an order is set, users receive a detailed summary of cart items, including quantities and prices.
This new ordering experience is rolling out to Alexa+ customers with Echo Show 8 devices and larger. Amazon asserts this development is a major step in advancing adaptive interaction models, laying the foundation for expanding similar features in areas like grocery shopping and travel.
The Alexa+ upgrade emerges amid broader AI implications in the food industry. While AI assistants are already used in fast food drive-thrus, challenges like order accuracy persist. In 2024, McDonald’s paused its AI drive-thru initiative due to errors, such as an AI mistakenly adding multiple sweet teas to an order. Taco Bell also experienced mishaps, with AI errors going viral.
Since Alexa+ launched in the U.S. and expanded to the U.K., its features continue to grow, offering new personality styles for Alexa, such as the “Sassy” option for adults, alongside styles like Brief, Chill, and Sweet.