OpenAI and Instacart have announced an integration that does something that sounds simple but changes the experience: you can plan a meal, build the cart and pay without leaving the conversation in ChatGPT. Can you imagine ordering ingredients from a recipe suggestion all the way to your doorstep without opening another tab?
What the integration allows
With the Instacart app inside ChatGPT, the experience mixes the AI's conversational suggestions with Instacart's network of stores and real-time logistics. You can ask for help finding recipes, let the AI assemble the cart with the right products, and complete payment with Instant Checkout — all within the same chat.
"Instacart and ChatGPT are redefining what's possible in AI-driven shopping," said Anirban Kundu, CTO of Instacart. "This brings intelligent, real-time support to something essential: getting food to your family."
How it works in practice
A quick example: you tell ChatGPT "Help me buy ingredients for an apple pie on Instacart." ChatGPT suggests the Instacart app, you enable it and sign in. The app searches for items at local stores, builds a cart ready for your review, and lets you pay securely without leaving the chat. After that, Instacart assigns a shopper to pick up and deliver your order.
