DoorDash launches AI-powered 'Ask DoorDash' chatbot for food and grocery searches

DoorDash has launched a new in-app AI chatbot called Ask DoorDash that lets customers search for food, groceries and reservations using plain-language prompts or photos, according to Bloomberg and TechCrunch. The tool is designed to replace the usual scroll-and-search experience by helping users describe what they want in their own words, and DoorDash said it could also support new business uses in the future.

According to TechCrunch, users can ask for things like a specific kind of meal, upload images, or search from a recipe or handwritten shopping list. The chatbot can then build a cart, suggest restaurants or stores, and help narrow results based on preferences such as family-friendly, vegetarian or non-spicy options. Bloomberg reported that DoorDash is also positioning the feature as a possible path to new enterprise revenue streams.

The company’s product pitch is that the chatbot is most useful when customers do not know the exact restaurant or item they want. As described by DoorDash in materials referenced by the reports, the system is intended to make discovery easier for shopping and dining, including tasks like repeating a past order or assembling ingredients from a recipe. It also can explain why a restaurant or store matches a request, rather than just listing search results.

The launch comes as DoorDash expands its use of artificial intelligence across the platform. In recent weeks, the company has introduced AI-powered tools for merchants, including faster onboarding, photo editing, video merchandising and website-building features. Those updates are aimed at helping restaurants and other sellers create listings more quickly and improve how they present items to customers.

The new chatbot could matter because search and discovery are central to how customers use delivery apps. By making it easier to order from text prompts or images, DoorDash is trying to reduce friction for users and increase the chances they complete a purchase, while also giving merchants another way to surface their products.

For now, the feature is rolling out on iOS in select regions, according to the reporting, with a broader U.S. expansion planned in the coming weeks. DoorDash has not said how widely the chatbot will eventually be available, but the company’s broader AI push suggests it is treating the technology as a core part of its next phase of growth.