DoorDash has announced Ask DoorDash, an AI-powered chatbot that enables customers to place food orders and make restaurant reservations using photos and natural language prompts. The feature is currently live in select U.S. markets for grocery shopping and food delivery, with reservations and additional cities set to follow in the coming weeks.
The launch extends DoorDash’s broader push to embed AI into its consumer experience. The company previously rolled out AI-powered tools for merchants in May and has been investing in autonomous delivery infrastructure, including delivery robots. The move comes as gig economy platforms accelerate AI integration amid growing consumer adoption of agentic tools across mobile apps.
Competitors are moving on a similar timeline. Uber launched an AI cart assistant for grocery delivery earlier this year, using photos and prompts to build shopping lists. Instacart introduced AI tools for grocery partners late last year.
The chatbot rollout coincides with a period of heavy capital investment for DoorDash. The company is building a unified technology platform to consolidate its brands following several large acquisitions, including a $1.2 billion purchase of restaurant booking platform SevenRooms and a $3.9 billion deal for UK food delivery company Deliveroo. Chief Financial Officer Ravi Inukonda said during the Q1 2026 earnings call that the tech stack overhaul is progressing, with most associated spending expected to occur this year.
DoorDash stock has declined approximately 33% in 2026, compared to a roughly 8% gain for the Nasdaq, reflecting investor concern over the company’s near-term spending commitments.
