Food delivery platform Just Eat Takeaway.com has launched its AI-powered voice assistant across Europe, allowing customers to discover restaurants, grocery retailers, and local shops through natural language rather than traditional search.

The company claims the rollout makes it the first on-demand delivery platform to deploy a conversational AI assistant at scale across European markets. The AI tool was first launched in the UK and Germany and will now be available in all of its European markets on both its website and its Android and iOS apps.

The assistant is designed to help customers who are unsure what to order by responding to conversational requests based on factors such as budget, dietary requirements, delivery times, or occasion.

The company said customers can also use the tool to reorder favourites or add grocery ingredients for recipes, with requests such as “Place all the ingredients for pasta carbonara in my basket.”

Research from Just Eat Takeaway.com found that customers typically browse around three restaurants before placing an order, with almost a quarter viewing four or more restaurants before making a decision. Across its European platforms, the company estimates this amounts to millions of hours spent choosing meals each year.

Early results from the UK suggest the voice-enabled assistant is improving the ordering experience. According to the company, customers using the AI voice assistant find what they are looking for around 40 per cent faster than those using the text-only AI assistant, while they are also 30 per cent more likely to choose a recommended restaurant or dish than customers relying on conventional search.

The research also highlighted differences in ordering behaviour across Europe. Swiss customers are the quickest to decide, taking an average of seven minutes to choose and place an order through the Just Eat app, while German customers take the longest at around nine minutes.

Burgers, pizza and chicken are the most common cuisine requests submitted through the AI Voice Assistant, followed by kebabs and Indian food.

Jörg Gerbig, chief corporate development officer at Just Eat Takeaway.com, said the biggest challenge for many customers is not finding restaurants but deciding what they want to eat.

“Our AI voice assistant removes the friction from ordering, letting customers describe what they want in their own words, just like talking to a friend,” he added. “The future of convenience isn't about giving people more choices. It's about giving them the right choice.”

The AI voice assistant forms part of Just Eat Takeaway.com's wider strategy to make ordering more conversational. The company said the technology builds on previous initiatives, including WhatsApp ordering and integrations with voice platforms, allowing customers to move between voice, text, and touch interactions.

---