DoorDash launches a text-to-order AI agent in Apple Messages

In short: DoorDash says it is launching an AI agent that lets people order food by texting inside Apple Messages.

What happened

DoorDash announced a new feature that lets customers place orders through Apple Messages, instead of opening the DoorDash app or a website. DoorDash describes it as an “AI agent,” meaning software that can understand what you type and take actions for you (like a helpful assistant that can place an order).

With the new tool, a person can text something like “order my usual,” and the system is supposed to understand what that usually means for that customer. DoorDash also says you can ask for a specific dish, or ask for a recommendation nearby, and it will suggest an order.

DoorDash says the agent can also text photos of the food it recommends. For group orders, the company says it can handle different dietary needs and different quantities in a single order.

The company is opening a waitlist for people in the U.S. who want to try the feature.

DoorDash also said it will start testing delivery drones with select restaurants in Northern California.

Why it matters

For regular customers, this could make ordering feel more like sending a quick text to a friend than filling out screens in an app. For DoorDash, it is also a way to stand out against rivals like Uber Eats and Grubhub, especially as more companies add AI helpers that can do tasks without you having to tap through menus.

Source: TechCrunch AI