Instacart has launched Clementine, its own AI shopping assistant, designed to help users decide what to cook while staying within budget. Available across North America on the Instacart Marketplace, Clementine understands natural language and can recommend recipes based on user prompts like "make a high-protein easy dinner for two." It provides ingredient lists that can be added to the cart with a tap, adjusting suggestions based on real-time store availability. Users can remove items they already have or set dietary preferences in the preference center, such as nut-free, vegetarian, or gluten-free options.

Clementine also helps restock pantry staples by analyzing past orders and can convert handwritten grocery lists via photo into digital cart items. The company notes that orders using Clementine typically exceed its $115 average basket size. While Clementine is Instacart’s proprietary AI, the platform also integrates with external models like Chat GPT, Claude, Gemini, and Google’s AI Mode for grocery shopping.