Just Eat is introducing an AI voice assistant in its UK app to help customers navigate the overwhelming number of takeaway options. The company aims to address what it calls 'choice overload' by offering personalised recommendations through a conversational interface.
The assistant, described as a 'personal food concierge', is being rolled out within the app's existing chat function from Tuesday. It is designed to understand even rambling or vague requests, such as a desire for something 'a bit sweet and a bit sour'. For breakfast, it might suggest bacon-wrapped dates or chicken and waffles; for lunch or dinner, Hawaiian pizza or sweet and sour pork.
The voice assistant can communicate in dozens of languages and allows users to customise its accent. Just Eat says it significantly enhances the ordering experience for people with mobility or visual impairments, making the service more inclusive.
The AI assistant also provides recommendations from Just Eat's network of 100,000 partners in retail, pharmacy and beauty, including brands such as Superdrug, Sainsbury's, Asda, Waitrose and CeX.
Just Eat is launching the feature in the UK first, with a wider international rollout planned later this year. The move comes amid broader adoption of voice assistants: Ofcom research last year found that 38% of UK homes with smart speakers used them to ask questions.
The company was acquired by Prosus for €4.1bn last February and subsequently delisted from the London Stock Exchange and Euronext Amsterdam. It also sold its US arm Grubhub at a loss, four years after buying it for £5.8bn.
