Yelp just released a major app update with over 20 new features, and several of these tools include, wait for it, ai. The biggest news for regular users is the addition of ai-written business summaries, which Yelp says will help people find the perfect restaurant or service to meet their needs.
There are also new images for the home feed and a revamped search experience, which the company says will also help users find the perfect place to dine. This home feed incorporates artificial intelligence to provide more relevant content to users and will also display images of nearby restaurants that match previous user queries, as well as videos posted by local businesses.
The ai nonsense extends to business users. The app now offers business owners “ai-powered smart budgets” to optimize ad spend. There are also new data insights available to business owners that provide “valuable and competitive market insights.”
Yelp is expanding the Recognitions feature to encourage user engagement. Users can now earn official recognition by periodically reviewing certain types of foods. You can earn one of these coveted digital trophies by reviewing three restaurants that offer the same type of cuisine in a year. You'll find these credentials in the Achievements section of the app.
The update is only available on iOS for now, but Yelp says an Android version will be released in the coming months. This is not the first time the service has dipped its toe into the ai pond. In April, the company announced that it would improve search.
