Carrefour Belgium has launched an AI-powered shopping assistant in ChatGPT, allowing customers to create shopping lists, check product availability, and place grocery orders through OpenAI's chatbot.

Developed in partnership with technology firm Mealz.ai, Carrefour said it is the first Belgian retailer to offer a grocery shopping assistant within ChatGPT.

The retailer said the launch reflects the growing use of generative AI in Belgium. According to figures cited by Carrefour, 42 per cent of Belgians aged 16 to 74 used AI tools such as ChatGPT, which is above the European average of 32.7 per cent.

Customers can access the assistant by logging into ChatGPT and activating the Carrefour Belgium plug-in. They can then ask the chatbot to help create shopping lists, recommend products or build meal plans based on dietary preferences, household size or food intolerances.

For example, the assistant can generate a week's shopping for a family while taking into account vegetarian or gluten-free requirements. It also displays product prices and allows users to amend their shopping basket before redirecting them to Carrefour's website to complete the order.

The assistant also remembers customer preferences for future orders and automatically links to the Carrefour Bonus Card, so shoppers receive any available discounts and loyalty rewards.

Customers can choose home delivery through Carrefour Delivery or collect their groceries via Carrefour Drive.

Carrefour said it plans to add more features in the coming weeks and is encouraging customers to provide feedback as it continues to develop the service.

The retailer already uses artificial intelligence in other parts of its business, including its AI-powered BuyBye autonomous stores and systems that help manage ordering and products approaching their expiry dates.

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