Instacart launches AI-powered grocery shopping assistant named Clementine

Instacart is the latest app to bake a conversational AI assistant into its platform. The company announced on Wednesday that it’s launching a new AI-powered grocery shopping assistant called Clementine that can turn a conversation, grocery list, or recipe into a ready-to-buy cart.

With Clementine, users can decide what to make for dinner, simplify grocery shopping, and stay on budget, the company says. For example, users can ask the assistant queries like, “I need a week of budget-friendly kids’ lunches,” “high-protein, easy dinners for two,” or “order my usuals.”

It’s worth noting that Instacart isn’t the only delivery app using AI to simplify grocery shopping for users, as Uber Eats and DoorDash have both introduced similar AI assistants that can turn natural-language requests and grocery lists into personalized carts.

The launch of the AI assistants indicates that delivery apps no longer just want to be places where people find and buy groceries, but also where they make decisions before a purchase. These platforms are now competing not only on delivery speed and variety, but also on becoming the default planning tool for households when it comes to grocery shopping. Additionally, they’re looking to keep users in their own apps for grocery and meal planning, rather than having them turn to popular AI chatbots like ChatGPT.

Instacart says Clementine can generate personalized recipes or surface ones from trusted publishers. It also tailors recommendations to each household’s preferences, including dietary needs such as gluten-free, vegetarian, nut-free, or organic options.

The AI assistant will also surface relevant deals and promotions while suggesting lower-cost alternatives. Additionally, users can upload a photo of a handwritten grocery list or a screenshot of a digital one, and Clementine can turn it into a cart.

“Every night, millions of families ask the same question: ‘What’s for dinner?’ Not knowing the answer, let alone what to shop for, is one of the most universal human experiences, and a problem Instacart is built to solve,” said Chris Rogers, CEO of Instacart, in an emailed press release. “We’ve spent nearly 15 years learning how families shop and eat, and Clementine puts that knowledge to work.”

Clementine is now available in the U.S. and Canada.