Ten seconds later, the AI offered its choice with a detailed analysis of the fruit's shape, the ripeness of its spines, and the color of its rind. Selecting the durian as suggested, Dan was surprised to find plump, golden-yellow sections with a sweet flavor.

The 25-year-old from Hoang Mai, Hanoi, no longer needs to call her mother for help. She's been shopping with the virtual assistant ChatGPT since the beginning of the year, after watching a video demonstrating how to use AI to choose a watermelon. Successful on her first try, she now considers AI her shopping companion.

"I used to dread going to the market because of my lack of experience and fear of buying low-quality goods," she said. Now, from choosing fresh vegetables and meat with the right lean-to-fat ratio to selecting fresh fish, she photographs everything and consults the AI. The analyses based on color, texture, and the clarity of the fish's eyes help Dan make confident decisions. The app even suggests reference prices to avoid overpaying.

Besides fresh food, Dan also uses AI to scan barcodes and packaging to distinguish genuine products from counterfeits. "I'm much more confident now; it's like having an expert with me," Dan said. She isn't bothered by the time it takes to photograph items, as it saves her much more time compared to searching for information online.

My Duyen, a student in Japan, has also been using ChatGPT for grocery shopping for the past two months. She said choosing fruit used to be a significant challenge, despite receiving detailed advice from relatives.

"Young people have limited knowledge, and sometimes I'd spend an hour choosing produce and still get it wrong. But since using the app, I no longer have to worry," Duyen shared. She mentioned that many of her friends have tried it and achieved "results beyond expectations."

When shopping, Linh Dan in Hanoi always reads ingredient lists and then uses ChatGPT to analyze them and suggest which items to buy. *Photo: Provided by the subject*

Beyond work, artificial intelligence (AI) models have become personal assistants for young people, helping them with tasks like grocery shopping.

A VnExpress survey revealed that the trend of "shopping with AI" emerged on social media about three months ago. The keyword "using ChatGPT for grocery shopping" yields hundreds of videos on various platforms, attracting tens of thousands to millions of interactions. Many comments confirm users have "tried and succeeded."

This trend among young Vietnamese people mirrors a global phenomenon. In May, at the AI Ascent event, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (the company behind ChatGPT), noted that he could determine a user's age by how they interacted with the AI. "Older people tend to use ChatGPT as a replacement for Google, while those in their 20s and 30s see it as a life advisor," Altman said.

Dinh Ngoc Son, an expert in digital transformation and AI, believes that young people applying technology to everyday activities like grocery shopping is a positive sign. This demonstrates adaptability in the face of new technologies.

He explains that when using AI to analyze images of watermelons or durians, people are utilizing computer vision, a powerful branch of AI, combined with machine learning to process criteria like color, shape, and rind uniformity—information previously learned through experience.

"It's encouraging that this tool empowers young people to make data-driven decisions rather than relying solely on intuition," Son said. He cited a recent IBM study indicating that 78% of Gen Z believe AI helps them make better decisions in daily life, from education and finance to cooking.

Addressing concerns about potential dependence and the erosion of life skills, Son believes this is unlikely. He compares it to the advent of computers, when many feared people would "forget how to do math."

"AI should not be a crutch but a springboard for developing higher-level skills," Son emphasized. The issue lies not with the technology but with how people use it. Used for self-improvement, AI is an excellent assistant. Overreliance, however, can lead to a loss of initiative.

Many young people use ChatGPT to analyze ingredients and additives before deciding whether to purchase a product. *Photo: Dan Miu*

For Hai Tung, 30, from TP HCM, AI is a tool to enhance his life. Lacking confidence in shopping and cooking, he used to rely on takeout or his parents for meals. Since adopting AI, he can now cook independently.

To cook braised pork, pumpkin soup with shrimp, and dragon fruit for dessert, Tung asks AI for recipes and ingredient selection tips. At the market, he photographs the meat, pumpkins, and dragon fruit, seeking AI's advice on choosing the freshest options.

"It's like a professional chef, patiently answering all my questions without getting annoyed," Tung said. "Grocery shopping and cooking have never been so easy."

For Linh Dan, besides grocery shopping and providing helpful advice, AI also assists her in calculating calorie intake and suggesting healthy meal plans.

"My life has become healthier, and AI has helped me maintain my figure effectively," she said.

Quynh Nguyen