Alexa Plus AI: Order Your Meals with Uber Eats and Grubhub

Alexa Plus AI Expands into Meal Delivery with Uber Eats and Grubhub

Last year, during my evaluation of Alexa Plus, I noted that this voice assistant promised to connect with various third-party services, like Uber. However, many of these integrations remained just that—promises. Today, that vision is taking shape with the expansion of Alexa Plus into meal delivery. Starting this week, users can now place orders through Uber Eats and Grubhub using Alexa Plus.

To take advantage of this feature, simply connect your Uber or Grubhub account to a device compatible with Alexa Plus. Once this connection is established, you can interact vocally with Alexa to ask questions about delivery options and even place your order. While Alexa Plus is known for its ability to engage in extended conversations, the food ordering experience has been designed to be simple and straightforward, allowing you to view your menu choices in real-time.

During my trial, I found that this feature was only available on my Echo Show, and not through the Alexa app. Alexa informed me that a sufficiently sized Echo Show, such as the Echo Show 8 or higher, was necessary to provide visual assistance throughout the process. It may be necessary to restart your devices and applications to ensure a smooth connection with third-party services before you start using this feature.

The ability to see the text of your order allows you to verify and modify your choices through additional voice commands. Alexa is also capable of suggesting meal ideas or helping you choose a dish if you ask. This experience is designed to be flexible and responsive, allowing for real-time adjustments.

Although an Amazon representative did not immediately respond to our inquiries, Tapojoy Chatterjee, Vice President of Product at Grubhub, expressed enthusiasm about how Alexa Plus is transforming restaurant discovery and ordering into a seamless and conversational experience. Users can discuss their cravings, ask questions, get recommendations, and adjust their orders in real-time.

Users can interact with Alexa Plus to get information about local restaurants, explore different menu sections, and track their orders by simply asking, "Alexa, where is my food?"

How to Access Alexa Plus

Alexa Plus now offers several customization options.

• The first option is to subscribe to Amazon Prime, which costs $15 per month and includes Prime Video as well as Alexa Plus. This is currently the most economical option.

• Another possibility is to subscribe to Alexa Plus as a standalone service for $20 per month.

• There is also a free version of Alexa Plus available through the web app, but it is important to note that without a large Echo Show, the meal ordering experience will not be available.

However, it is important to remain vigilant. During my tests, Alexa Plus sometimes tended to promise more than it could deliver, particularly regarding information on food allergies or menu substitutions. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully check your final order.