Uber Eats is introducing a suite of new features aimed at helping restaurants better advertise and communicate with customers, leveraging both generative AI and direct communication tools.
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The food delivery service is using AI to enhance menu descriptions and food photos. AI can now generate descriptions for menu items and summarize customer reviews to highlight key feedback.
Uber Eats is also applying AI to “detect and enhance low-quality food images.” This can involve adjusting lighting, resolution, and framing, or even digitally editing food onto new plates or backgrounds. Examples from the company suggest this feature may use generative AI to make changes to the food itself, such as expanding an item or filling in gaps when an image is replated.
To fill menu gaps, Uber Eats will now let customers upload their own photos of orders when leaving a review. This feature is rolling out globally, and customers in the US, UK, Canada, and Mexico may receive in-app credits if their photos are published.
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In addition to the AI tools, Uber Eats is launching a new Live Order Chat feature. This allows businesses to contact customers directly to resolve issues before an order is sent out. After an order is placed, merchants can use the chat to clarify special requests, confirm dietary needs, or inform customers about out-of-stock items and discuss alternatives.
While features like user-uploaded photos and live chat could improve the customer experience, the reliability of AI-generated content is still an open question. The real-world effectiveness of these new tools will become clearer as they are implemented on menus.
