Booking a restaurant can be quite frustrating. Finding somewhere that everyone agrees on, that has dishes everyone can eat, and that's affordable enough, leaves you with only a small number of places to choose from.
This has led to countless evenings scrolling through different restaurants and reading reviews and menus to find that gem that works for everyone, only to discover that no tables are free. So, how do I resolve this problem? It’s obvious, AI.
Finding a restaurant with AI
I recently went to ChatGPT, looking to book a table for next week. To do this, I put on Agent (available in the dropdown menu on the ChatGPT conversation bar) and inputted this prompt:
“Find and book me a table in Bristol, UK for next Wednesday anytime between 7 pm-8 pm GMT time. It should have vegetarian options and be fairly affordable (overall £30-40 per person including drinks)”.
I was then asked if there were any dietary restrictions, and for how many people the table would be for. Answering those questions (3 people, one who is gluten-free if you were wondering) and ChatGPT went to work.
Just two minutes later and ChatGPT had tracked down three different options for me. Not only did all three have tables available for the time I chose, but they all had both vegetarian options and gluten-free choices.
What I especially like about booking tables this way is that, thanks to advancements in ChatGPT search over the years, it goes the extra step in its research.
All three options came with explanations for how it knew it fit my criteria. For example, for one restaurant, ChatGPT said: “More than a third of its menu is vegan and nearly all of it is gluten‑free, and the restaurant is accredited by Coeliac UK”. It also gave me an explanation of what the atmosphere is like for each.
Making a booking
In the past, ChatGPT could find you a restaurant that fit your needs, providing reviews and rough price points. What makes things different with its new agent function is ChatGPT’s ability to complete the booking.
Once you decide which restaurant you want to go to from the options provided, ChatGPT will go ahead and make the booking. All you need to do is jump in at the end and add your contact details and confirm the booking.
How ChatGPT is fixing the small problems
With more recent updates to ChatGPT, I’m finding it has become more and more helpful for those small but annoying tasks in life.
Whether that's booking a table at a restaurant, planning a week of groceries, or even trying to find a new TV on Black Friday, ChatGPT is often like having your own personal assistant there to simply make your life easier.
When it comes to ChatGPT Agent, not every task is made easier with this tool. I tried ordering a pizza to my house with it recently and was met by incredibly long thinking times, and a lot of time watching ChatGPT get stuck in a circle.
This hasn’t stopped me from trying to use AI to replace the tedious tasks in my life, and I will continue to do so. The main thing I know for now is that I will no longer be booking restaurants myself.
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