Instacart’s new AI helper ‘Clementine’ turns chats and recipes into a ready-to-checkout cart

On September 9, 2026, U.S. grocery delivery platform Instacart introduced "Clementine," a conversational AI shopping assistant built into its app. Clementine can take a casual chat, a handwritten-style grocery list or an online recipe and automatically turn it into a shoppable cart. Users can say things like "Plan easy dinners for the week" or "Scale this recipe to four people," and the AI will adjust quantities, fill in missing ingredients and suggest what to buy.

The assistant learns from past orders and stated preferences, so it can prioritize favorite brands, stay within a budget and propose suitable substitutes. It also supports filters for allergies and dietary restrictions. With Clementine, Instacart is shifting from a simple catalog-and-cart experience to a service that helps customers decide what to cook and how to shop before they ever hit the checkout button.