DoorDash now lets you order food by texting an AI agent

DoorDash has launched a new way to order food that skips the app entirely: texting an AI agent directly through Apple's Messages app.

The feature is live now for US users who join a waitlist first, and it's powered entirely by AI running behind the scenes.

Users simply text what they're craving, whether that's a specific dish, a mood-based recommendation, or a repeat of a regular order. 

DoorDash's AI agent searches local restaurants, scans menus, and builds a suggested cart based on the request, even sending photos of recommended dishes pulled directly from a restaurant's DoorDash shopfront.

The system was designed to learn the personal preferences of the customer with time. It is only necessary for them to text "get my usual", and the robot will automatically understand what they mean and what type of modifications were requested previously.

The more a person orders, the better the agent understands their habits and is even able to send a text message asking if they need their regular coffee order.

Ordering as a group, usually a complicated logistics problem when you have to cater to various dietary needs and different amounts of food, becomes part of the same text-based interface.

The AI agent will be able to deal with each individual’s request in one order, obviating the necessity of a particular person coordinating it manually.

The whole ordering process takes place without having to launch the DoorDash app at all. The user just confirms their order through the chat window.

The feature is currently limited to a waitlist for US users. DoorDash hasn't specified a firm timeline for rollout, noting that access could arrive quickly or take longer dependin

g on demand.