Instacart launches Clementine AI grocery assistant

Instacart has launched Clementine, a first-party conversational AI grocery assistant available in the United States and Canada. The tool is designed to transform user conversations, recipes, or dietary preferences into ready-to-purchase shopping carts.

Users can interact with the assistant to plan meals based on specific constraints, such as budget, nutritional needs (e.g., vegetarian or gluten-free), or meal types like “high-protein dinners.” The software is intended to suggest recipes and recommend lower-cost alternatives or relevant deals to assist in decision-making.

Alongside the launch of Clementine, Instacart confirmed the first live deployments of its white-label “Cart Assistant” for retailers. Food Bazaar, Heritage Grocers, and Woodman’s are the initial grocers to implement the technology, with ALDI U.S. noted as a forthcoming partner.