Alexa+ gets new food ordering experiences with Uber Eats and Grubhub

Amazon has unveiled an exciting enhancement to its Alexa+ AI assistant, enabling users to seamlessly order food from leading delivery services like Uber Eats and Grubhub. This new feature is designed to make the food ordering process feel as natural as engaging in conversation with a server at a restaurant or making an order at a drive-thru. Beginning today, Alexa+ users can dive into a rich culinary experience, asking for specific cuisines, browsing menu selections, and customizing their meals—all within a single dialogue. If diners wish to modify their orders midway, add a dessert, or adjust portion sizes, they can do so effortlessly. To utilize this innovative feature, users must link their Grubhub or Uber Eats accounts through the Alexa app. Once connected, previous orders will synchronize automatically, allowing for easy reordering of favorite dishes or exploration of new eateries. For instance, users can simply say, “I want to order Italian for delivery,” and Alexa+ will provide a range of restaurant choices. After finalizing their selections, users receive a detailed summary of their cart, including item counts and prices. Currently, this new food ordering capability is rolling out to Alexa+ customers who own Echo Show 8 devices or larger. This development marks a significant step in Amazon's quest to create more adaptive interaction models. The company envisions expanding similar features into other domains, such as grocery shopping and travel planning. The introduction of Alexa+ comes at a time when AI is increasingly making waves in the food industry. Fast-food chains have started experimenting with AI assistants at drive-thrus, although there have been notable challenges with order accuracy. For example, McDonald’s paused its AI cashier initiative after encountering issues, including an incident where an AI mistakenly added nine sweet teas to an order. Taco Bell has also faced hiccups, with viral videos capturing its AI making mistakes. Since its initial launch in the U.S. and subsequent expansion to the U.K., Alexa+ has continued to evolve, introducing new personality styles, such as a “Sassy” option aimed at adult users, alongside other tones like Brief, Chill, and Sweet.