In the beginning, collecting a takeaway was the epitome of a lazy night in. Then delivery apps saved some more energy. Now, consumers can skip even bothering to read the menu as AI takes over the job of choosing the perfect evening meal.
Just Eat is introducing an AI voice assistant that lets customers discuss what they might be interested in eating, and then offers personalised recommendations.
The food delivery company is launching what it calls a “personal food concierge” within Just Eat’s existing chat function on its UK app on Tuesday.
The voice assistant has been designed to understand whatever culinary desires customers are trying to ask, even if it is a “rambling stream of consciousness”.
“No matter how you ask, you get exactly what you’re craving,” the company said. “The assistant cuts through the noise to deliver accurate, meaningful answers.”
For example, if a user were to say to the AI assistant that they felt like something “a bit sweet and a bit sour” at breakfast time, suggestions would include bacon-wrapped dates, chicken and waffles and a selection of sweet and sour baked goods.
If asked around lunch or dinner time, the AI assistant would suggest items such as Hawaiian pizza and sweet and sour pork.
Just Eat said the app era had aggregated such an overwhelming number of takeaway options for consumers to consider that they now faced the dilemma of “choice overload”.
“[This is] designed to make deciding ‘what’s for dinner?’ more intuitive than ever before,” the company said. “With the addition of conversational abilities, it streamlines the checkout process and offers tailored recommendations based on genuine interaction.”
The chatbot can communicate in dozens of languages and its accent can be personalised.
Just Eat said the voice-activated AI assistant also “significantly enhances” the ordering experience for users with mobility or visual impairments.
“This custom-built conversational assistant represents a major step forward, making our service more intuitive and accessible,” said Mert Öztekin, the chief technology officer at Just Eat. “We are harnessing the power of AI to empower everyday convenience across our entire network.”
Just Eat is launching the AI assistant in the UK first, before a wider international rollout during this year.
The AI assistant can also be used to ask for recommendations from the 100,000 partners in the retail, pharmacy and beauty sectors that are available through the Just Eat app.
The company, which operates in 16 countries, has partnerships with brands including Superdrug, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose and the electronics retailer CeX.
Research conducted by Ofcom, the media and telecoms regulator, last year found that 38% of homes with smart speakers used them to seek answers to questions.
In 2024, Just Eat delisted from the London Stock Exchange, citing the costs, low liquidity and trading volume of its shares. Weeks earlier, it had announced the sale of its US arm, Grubhub, at a considerable loss only four years after buying the US app in a £5.8bn deal.
The company, which also ditched the US Nasdaq listing it inherited with the Grubhub deal, also de-listed from Euronext in Amsterdam after it was acquired for €4.1bn (£3.4bn) by the internet investor Prosus last February.
