Hand a family's weekly grocery shop to ChatGPT's in-app browser and find it takes nearly an hour

Posted

Aug 23, 2026 by Kirk Simmons (Sydney Morning Herald)

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Last checked

Oct 17, 2026

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Method:

How we verify

Evidence: Article or interviewA newsletter, journalist or interview account of what happened.

Context: The writer is a technology lawyer who founded an AI legal-tech company.

Outcome

Betting they could do the weekly shop in five minutes, Kirk Simmons connected ChatGPT to the family Google Calendar to find a delivery window, gave it a spreadsheet of favourite recipes and household needs, and let its in-app browser shop. It asked what food was left, suggested a meal plan, turned it into a list, chose between two supermarkets on budget and fresh food, and clicked items into the cart one by one. It took nearly an hour, picked a fruit-and-veg box when asked for a fruit box, and spent time comparing ethical chocolate brands; the shop arrived on time and well under budget.

Agent

ChatGPT

The source didn't share its exact prompt, so we wrote this from what it describes.

Let's work this out together. I'll tell you what I know, you suggest options and ask what you need, and we'll narrow it down step by step. Nothing gets booked, bought or sent until I say so.

Goal: Plan our week's meals and fill an online grocery order around our family calendar, for me to approve.

What I'll share as we go:
- Our calendar (for a delivery window)
- Favourite recipes and what's left in the fridge
- Household needs (kids' snacks, brands we like, budget)
- Which supermarkets deliver to us

Rules:
- Propose the meal plan and list first and wait for my OK.
- Use my named brands; ask rather than comparing every option.
- Check each item against my wording (e.g. fruit box vs fruit-and-veg box).
- Stop before payment and show me the cart and total.
- If a site asks me to sign in, pause and let me do it myself (including any CAPTCHA or two-step code); never guess or store passwords.
- Ask for my OK before you pay, book, send, submit or cancel anything.
- Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify.

Output: A meal plan, the shopping list, and a filled cart with delivery slot, ready for me to check out.

You'll know it worked when: the right groceries arrive in a slot that fits our week, under budget.

Let's work this out together. I'll tell you what I know, you suggest options and ask what you need, and we'll narrow it down step by step. Nothing gets booked, bought or sent until I say so.

Goal: Plan our week's meals and fill an online grocery order around our family calendar, for me to approve.

What I'll share as we go:
- Our calendar (for a delivery window)
- Favourite recipes and what's left in the fridge
- Household needs (kids' snacks, brands we like, budget)
- Which supermarkets deliver to us

Rules:
- Propose the meal plan and list first and wait for my OK.
- Use my named brands; ask rather than comparing every option.
- Check each item against my wording (e.g. fruit box vs fruit-and-veg box).
- Stop before payment and show me the cart and total.
- If a site asks me to sign in, pause and let me do it myself (including any CAPTCHA or two-step code); never guess or store passwords.
- Ask for my OK before you pay, book, send, submit or cancel anything.
- Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify.
- Keep a saved list of our usual brands for next time.

Output: A meal plan, the shopping list, and a filled cart with delivery slot, ready for me to check out.

You'll know it worked when: the right groceries arrive in a slot that fits our week, under budget.

Before you finish: re-read my goal and constraints, check your answer against each one, and list anything you assumed or couldn't confirm.

Source

https://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/i-bet-my-wife-i-could-do-our-grocery-shop-in-five-minutes-with-ai-i-was-wrong-20260819-p60psl.html