Yelp introduces an AI chatbot to help users sift local recommendations

Yelp, an online review platform, is introducing an AI-powered chatbot to help users find information more efficiently. With over 330 million reviews, users often struggle to sift through the vast amount of feedback on local businesses like restaurants and plumbers. The new chatbot will quickly analyze reviews and provide recommendations, showing the evidence behind its suggestions. This transparency aims to address consumer concerns about misinformation from AI. Yelp hopes this innovation will boost its relevance during the current AI boom, as it competes with Google, which has dominated search results for local businesses. Yelp’s CEO, Jeremy Stoppelman, emphasizes the importance of maintaining human connections while using AI to streamline the search process. QUESTION: How might the introduction of AI chatbots in platforms like Yelp change the way people make decisions about where to eat or shop?