Yelp will leverage AI to tell you if a restaurant’s food is any good

Yelp is jumping on the AI bandwagon, introducing a new feature on iOS that compiles and summarizes user reviews into a brief snippet displayed near the top of a company’s Yelp page.

The fresh addition utilizes large language models (LLMs) to sift through user comments, spotlighting “what the business is best known for based on first-hand reviews,” according to Yelp. This could encompass details about a place’s ambiance, favorite dishes, amenities, and more. For instance, in one example (as seen in the image above), a restaurant is described as a “retro diner well known for its classic cheeseburgers and affordable prices.”

It seems like Yelp is taking a page from the playbook of companies like Amazon and Newegg, summarizing reviews. However, Yelp’s twist is a bit less detailed since it doesn’t highlight specific pros and cons mentioned by users.

According to Akhil Kuduvalli Ramesh, Yelp’s senior vice president of consumer product, these AI summaries will pop up based on a “reliable number of recent reviews” suggested by the company’s software that highlights user feedback. However, these AI-driven summaries are currently limited to businesses in the restaurant, food, and nightlife sectors.

Yelp is throwing in some extra goodies to its iOS app, including a fresh home feed that employs AI to bring up more content and photos connected to local businesses.

They’re giving search a makeover on iOS too, adding more photos to the results page. Now, carousels display popular foods users often search for, letting you swipe through a lineup of photos showcasing favorite dishes like pizza, ramen, or tacos from local restaurants when you’re on the hunt for something specific.

For the Android app, Yelp is only introducing the “surprise me” option that came to iOS last year. Android users will have to hold tight until later this year to get their hands on the AI summaries, revamped search results, and the upgraded home feed.