DoorDash is opening a US waitlist for an AI agent that takes food orders through Apple Messages. Instead of navigating restaurant pages, a user can send a request such as “order my usual,” and the system will interpret that phrase using an established routine such as a Friday-night order.
The agent can also search nearby restaurants for a requested dish, recommend an option and send photos of the food it proposes. For group orders, DoorDash says it can account for different dietary preferences and quantities while assembling one cart.
The launch moves a common consumer transaction from an app interface into a conversation. It also gives DoorDash another point of differentiation from Uber Eats and Grubhub as personal agents begin handling tasks that previously required several screens and manual selections.
Availability is limited for now: DoorDash has announced a waitlist rather than a broad release, and the source does not specify when every US customer will receive access. The company also announced a separate test of delivery drones with selected Northern California restaurants. That drone program is not part of the messaging agent and will have its own geographic and restaurant limits.