Albertsons Upgrades AI Assistant to Complete More Complex Tasks and Slash Shopping Time

Albertsons Cos. has introduced an AI-enabled shopping assistant across all of its banner websites, expanding the retailer’s use of artificial intelligence to streamline planning, list-building and product discovery. 

The web-based tool, which is powered by OpenAI models, is branded as Albertsons AI, Safeway AI, Vons AI, Jewel-Osco AI and others. It’s designed to complete complex end-to-end grocery tasks and reduce the average 46-minute shopping session to as little as four minutes, according to the company.  

The launch marks the next phase in Albertsons’ digital transformation and reflects broader industry interest in agentic commerce, in which AI tools not only answer questions but take action on behalf of the shopper.

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Building on Earlier AI Investments

The assistant builds on updates Albertsons introduced earlier this year to its Ask AI tool, which incorporated Google Cloud’s Conversational Commerce agent to power more natural search, multi-turn dialogue and personalized recommendations. 

Albertsons’ latest deployment extends these capabilities by adding task-oriented functionality — moving from conversational assistance toward automated list creation, meal planning and basket building.

“We are laser-focused on using AI as part of our strategy to meet customers when and how they choose to shop,” Jill Pavlovich, senior vice president of digital customer experience for Albertsons, said in a media release. “The Albertsons AI shopping assistant is an exciting step in this journey, with much more innovation to come.”

End-to-End Task Automation

The Albertsons AI assistant is accessible through the “Meals Hub” on banner websites and is designed to help shoppers:

• Rapid Restock: Reorder weekly essentials and frequently purchased items.
• Plan Meals: Generate weekly meal plans and consolidated shopping lists, with ingredients automatically added to the cart.
• Shop From Lists: Upload or type a grocery list and receive product matches based on past purchases and preferences.
• Use What’s on Hand: Discover recipes using items already in the pantry or refrigerator.
• Shop Recipes: Import ingredients directly from an online recipe or recipe image.
• Prepare for Events: Generate themed suggestions and product bundles based on upcoming holidays or gatherings.

The assistant also supports more context-rich conversations, allowing shoppers to specify details such as dietary needs, household size or desired leftovers. Albertsons said this added context will improve recommendations both in the moment and over time as the system personalizes future interactions.