Yelp’s updated AI assistant can answer questions and make restaurant or service reservations in one conversation

Over the years, existing platforms have tried to retain users of their software by offering more services. After the rise of AI chatbots, the trend is that people will use the assistant for all inquiries and actions without leaving the conversation. With its latest update, Yelp is allowing people to ask questions, make restaurant reservations, order food, and book professionals, through its updated AI assistant.

The company released an AI assistant in 2024 to help people search for different services based on their problem. It now uses a platform connected to an AI assistant to allow users to do more.

In a demonstration seen by TechCrunch, the SVP of the pharmaceutical company, Akhil Kuduvalli Ramesh, searched for a place to walk with a dog without a leash; checked out the outlet on the way, and decided to order on Doordash; looked at restaurant recommendations for the weekend plan, with the opportunity to check availability and book a table; and I asked to paint the new house of Victorian friends without stopping to chat.

“We really want consumers to reimagine Yelp as a place where they can ask questions and get answers, not only that, but also to complete the job. It’s Yelp reconceiving from a review platform to answers and services,” he told TechCrunch over the phone. “Some of the things we’re building will be in that way.”

Users can select a specific restaurant or service page after typing it in, or ask more questions about the business. Yelp said that since the information is based on the details of the business on the platform, the business page, and user reviews, there is less chance of getting wrong answers.

The company is managing the assistant on a new tab in the program, which is now placed in the middle of the bottom navigation bar, so that users can visit more often. The assistant will be available on iOS and Android at launch and will work with relevant business websites, including restaurants, retail stores, and attractions. The company said a desktop version and a full enterprise release are expected by the end of the year.

In addition to capturing information, Yelp also announced integration with external providers to complete actions, such as placing an order or placing an order. Users can now order food through DoorDash and Grubhub, book workouts or beauty appointments through Vagaro, make doctor’s appointments through ZocDoc, and repair cars through Repairpal. In addition, it also offers Calendly integration for other business models that allow for booking appointments.

In particular, this will all lead you to the program or website of the provider, meaning that these are not “helpers” in nature, where everything is completed on the social screen. Kuduvalli noted that while moderation is Yelp’s current policy, it may not be the case “in the future.”

However, it’s hard to say how well pipelines will work with other services in cases where the user hasn’t specified whether they want to order food through DoorDash or Grubhub.

Besides the new AI assistant, Yelp is rolling out a number of live updates to the app. Last year, it introduced human creativity scan the menu and see what the dishes look like through pictures posted by other users. Now, users can check the dishes within the app while browsing the menu.

In addition, Yelp said that users will be able to search for business listings using natural language queries instead of keywords. In addition, the company will provide AI-powered tagging and grouping of photos before and after for business owners to avoid manual tasks.