As part of its spring product release, Yelp has added Yelp Assistant, an AI feature designed to connect consumers with relevant business professionals. The chatbot leverages OpenAI language models along with Yelp data to find the right fit and can interactively quiz users to learn more about their project and needs. Available on iOS (with plans for Android later this year), Yelp’s move is part of a trend using artificial intelligence to provide operational help managing households and life tasks. For example, the California-based energy intelligence firm Bidgely is now using AI to generate individualized consumer profiles on energy usage.

Yelp has also introduced the Yelp Fusion API to let third-party partners “integrate Yelp content into their own AI solutions and natural-language search experiences.” Another new feature, Yelp Guest Manager, helps streamline restaurant bookings.

In all, more than 15 new features have been added, with Yelp Assistant at the head of the class. The conversational chatbot “intelligently guides you through the process of finding the right pro for the job, transforming how you discover, connect with and hire service professionals,” Yelp explains in a blog post.

Yelp notes “consumer interest in home services businesses was up nearly 30 percent” in the first quarter of 2024, compared to Q1 2019. Though it doesn’t source the stat, presumably it is based on internal search measurement. Possibly it suggests post-COVID catch-up on home repairs, housekeeping and self-care.

The Yelp Assistant is rolling out under the “Projects” tab, and TechCrunch describes using it in place of a traditional search box by detailing the project or professional services sought “directly into the chat interface.”

The bot may ask users follow-up questions “to gather more information along with your zip code to create a project,” and then field inquiries on your behalf. According to TechCrunch, “you will be able to see messages from professionals for their projects once the bot sends them information,” and can then “respond to those conversations with a custom reply or use the app’s quick reply feature.”

Yelp has also added a “Project Ideas” section to help get projects going and fuel search on Yelp. While TechCrunch emphasizes things along the line of “installing new lighting in your home and upgrading your outdoor space,” ZDNet describes finding a new hairstylist in Brooklyn, and says the bot’s questions “were pertinent” and the one-click feature for responses “proved effective” (with screenshots documenting the process).

Meanwhile, Fast Company explores “how AI is transforming the energy industry” in an interview with Bidgely CEO Abhay Gupta, who  discusses how the 13-year-old company is leveraging machine learning to produce granular consumer usage profiles that “can lead to smarter energy decisions that save costs, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance grid stability.”