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DoorDash: Third-Party AI Agents Have Brought Only "Several Hundred" Orders So Far, and Most People Still Order in the App
According to TechCrunch, delivery company DoorDash said on its third-quarter earnings call that third-party AI agents that can place orders on users' behalf have brought in only about several hundred orders. DoorDash's 2025 report says it completes an average of 3 million deliveries a day, so the figure is tiny by comparison.
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What happened
According to TechCrunch, DoorDash revealed on its third-quarter earnings call (the call where a company takes analysts' questions after reporting quarterly results) that orders from third-party agents such as Muse, Instinct and Fo number only "several hundred." Here, an "AI agent" means an AI program that completes tasks for users automatically, such as ordering food for them, and "third-party" means the agents were not built by DoorDash itself. TechCrunch notes that DoorDash's 2025 report says it completes an average of 3 million deliveries a day.
TechCrunch quotes CEO Tony Xu answering an analyst's question: "if you look at where AI agents are today, we're seeing maybe several hundred orders in total from some of these third-party agents." (In other words, at the current stage of AI agents, DoorDash receives only a few hundred orders in total from them.) On technology trends, he also said "you never want to fight gravity. But at the same time, you don't want to be delusional." (In other words, don't go against the tide, but don't indulge in fantasy either.)
DoorDash's stance and its own agents
According to TechCrunch, Xu said users still order mainly through DoorDash's app. However, the company wants to better understand how AI agents are used and to build good relationships with third-party agent developers. He also mentioned that DoorDash may have a chance to run ads in these agents in the future.
| Item | Timing | Description (per TechCrunch) |
|---|---|---|
| Ask DoorDash chatbot | Launched in June | Lets users order via prompts and photos |
| CLI agent | Launched in July | DoorDash's own command-line agent, operated with text commands on a computer |
| Text ordering agent | Launched in September | DoorDash's own agent that turns text into orders |
| MCP | Date not stated by TechCrunch | Lets business users place orders from other chatbots |
Why it matters
AI agents are often said to be about to take over shopping and food ordering, but by DoorDash's account, at least at DoorDash the actual volume of orders from third-party agents is still small, and most people still open the app and order themselves.
TechCrunch also notes that websites are still deciding whether to let agents access their content: Amazon has been blocking such personal agents, while Walmart has opened its doors to win business from competitors.
FAQ
How many orders have third-party AI agents brought DoorDash so far?
According to TechCrunch, DoorDash said orders from third-party agents currently total about "several hundred."
Does DoorDash have its own AI agents?
Yes. According to TechCrunch, DoorDash has Ask DoorDash (launched in June), a CLI agent (launched in July) and a text ordering agent (launched in September), plus MCP for business ordering.
Will DoorDash run ads in AI agents in the future?
According to TechCrunch, Xu said there may be a chance to run ads in these agents in the future, but the report does not mention any specific plans.
Do all e-commerce platforms welcome AI agents?
No. TechCrunch notes that Amazon has been blocking such personal agents, while Walmart welcomes them.
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