Instacart, an online grocery delivery service, is teaming up with openAI’s ChatGPT . to create an app, Ask Instacart, that will ease shopping and make it more fun. ChatGPT has been causing a stir in the marketing industry since its launch in late 2022.

Everything you need to know about Ask Instacart

• According to a statement from OpenAI, ChatGPT is now formally accessible via the business’ application programming interface (API). Developers can now use advanced language and speech-to-text features in addition to chat.

• Users will be able to input inquiries to help create and refine their shopping lists. For example, in the demo, when a user types “lunch” into the Ask Instacart chatbox, a list of potential questions appear below the box, such as “What are some vegetarian and vegan lunch ideas?” and “What is a healthy lunch for my kids?” When the user chooses the second question, the app gives feedback by creating a list of ingredients for simple and healthy lunches and also offers recommendations for other important questions.

• The tool will serve as a shopping assistant to help customers save on time and energy. Grocery shopping can be mentally taxing, with many variables to consider, such as budget, health and nutrition, personal tastes, and seasonality according to JJ Zhuang, the Chief Architect at Instacart.  AI will take away this kind of mental load, by combining OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and Instacart’s AI system, to make grocery shopping more fun. 

• According to OpenAI, Instacart became one of the initial brands to integrate the ChatGPT API into a campaign. Snap also recently announced My AI, its new in-app ChatGPT-based service that is accessible only by paying Snapchat+ users.

• ChatGPT is the consumer application with the fastest growth rate.  It reached approximately 100 million users in January, only two months after it’s introduction. Many businesses have been looking for a way to take advantage of AI. For instance, there have been initiatives made by Coke, Patrón, and Spectrum Reach who have integrated the technology into their company operations.

• Instacart’s new feature, Ask Instacart, is expected to debut later on in the year.