You are able to purchase your Instacart groceries directly within ChatGPT, no need to exit the chat.

OpenAI and Instacart Introduce Seamless Grocery Shopping in ChatGPT

OpenAI and Instacart have unveiled a new feature that allows users to plan meals, create grocery lists, and complete their purchases—all within the ChatGPT platform. This integration enables shoppers to handle their entire grocery experience without ever leaving the chat window.

This innovation expands on the ongoing collaboration between the two companies. Over two years ago, Instacart introduced an AI-powered search tool within its app, leveraging ChatGPT to assist customers with meal planning and dietary questions.

The partnership has grown even stronger since May, when former Instacart CEO Fidji Simo—already a member of OpenAI’s board—stepped into the role of CEO of Applications at OpenAI.

AI-Driven Shopping Takes Center Stage

OpenAI is prioritizing "agentic commerce," where artificial intelligence handles product research and purchasing for users. At its latest developer event, OpenAI highlighted its vision for integrating apps directly into ChatGPT. Early developer previews have already included connections with platforms such as Booking.com, Canva, Coursera, Expedia, Figma, Spotify, and Zillow. More recently, OpenAI has announced additional collaborations with companies like Target and Intuit.

As the holiday shopping season approaches, both OpenAI and Perplexity have rolled out new in-app tools to guide users in making informed buying decisions. For example, ChatGPT can now help you locate the best deals on products like gaming laptops tailored to your preferences. According to Adobe, online shopping powered by AI is expected to surge by 520% this holiday season.

Monetization and Future Prospects

Despite ChatGPT’s widespread use, OpenAI has yet to achieve profitability and may not do so for several years, if at all. The high computational demands of its services mean that even subscription fees fall short of covering operational costs. The introduction of agentic commerce features could open up new revenue streams for OpenAI, as the company will collect a small, undisclosed fee for facilitating sales. However, it would require a significant volume of transactions for these fees to substantially impact OpenAI’s financial situation.