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door dash is deeply embedding artificial intelligence into its user experience, allowing customers to order and reserve food using photos and prompts.
The company on Thursday announced a new chatbot called Ask DoorDash that will launch in select markets for grocery shopping and food delivery. DoorDash plans to add reservations and U.S. cities in the coming weeks.
Gig economy companies are racing to add AI to their apps as the rapid development of agent tools changes the way consumers use the internet and mobile devices. Along with DoorDash, Uber and instacartis rolling out new services to avoid being left behind in a field that has become a testing ground for AI agents.
DoorDash announced AI-powered tools for retailers in May, betting on autonomous technology like delivery robots. Earlier this year, Uber released its own AI cart assistant that uses photos and prompts to create grocery lists. And late last year, Instacart introduced AI tools for grocery stores.
For DoorDash, the stakes are high. The company is in the midst of a major investment cycle following a series of major acquisitions and building an integrated technology platform to house all of its brands. Acquisitions include the $1.2 billion deal for restaurant reservation platform Seven Rooms and the nearly $4 billion acquisition of Deliveroo.
Finance chief Ravi Inukonda told investors on last quarter’s earnings call that DoorDash is retooling its technology stack and expects to make the bulk of the spending this year.
DoorDash has had a tough year on Wall Street, with its stock down 33% compared to the Nasdaq’s rise of about 8%. The downdraft started late last year, when the company announced in November that it plans to spend “hundreds of millions of dollars” on new products and technology in 2026, resulting in the stock’s worst day ever.
“We wish there was a way to grow a baby into an adult without investment, or even watch a baby grow into an adult overnight,” the company said in a release at the time. “But we don’t believe this is how life or business works.”
WATCH: Concerns over investment cycle weigh on DoorDash
