Uber Eats is adding AI to menus, food photos, and reviews

The menus on your next Uber Eats order may be embellished using generative AI. The food delivery service is rolling out new features that aim to help businesses advertise and communicate with customers, which include  AI additions to menu descriptions, food photos, and review summaries, along with a live chat tool and payments for user-submitted photos.

The AI tools can be used to generate descriptions for menu items and summarize customer reviews to quickly highlight feedback regarding areas of the business that need improvement. Uber Eats also says it’s using AI to “detect and enhance low-quality food images” on menus, either by making changes to lighting, resolution, and framing, or editing the food onto different plates or backgrounds. The example images provided by Uber Eats suggest that this feature may also use generative AI to make adjustments to the food itself, such as expanding it or filling in any gaps when digitally re-plating.

For menu items that don’t have any images at all, Uber Eats will also now allow customers to upload a photograph of their own order when leaving a review. The feature is launching globally, and can be accessed by tapping the “add photos” option on the rate order screen. Customers in the US, UK, Canada, and Mexico may receive a payment in Uber in-app credits if their photos are published.

Lastly, Uber Eats is introducing a new Live Order Chat feature that allows businesses to contact customers directly to help resolve any issues with orders before they’re sent out. Once an order has been received, merchants can then initiate real-time communications to clarify any special requests, check dietary or allergy requirements, or inform them of out-of-stock items to discuss alternatives.

The user-uploaded images and Live Order Chat features could provide customers with a better idea of what to expect from their orders before they arrive at their door. AI-generated and manipulated content can be unpredictable, however, and we won’t know how reliable these tools are until they start appearing on menus.