Unlocking Efficiency: How Ava Became Our AI Productivity Partner

At Instacart, we’re not just using generative AI to develop new features in the Instacart app that will help transform peoples’ relationships with food — we’re using it in unique ways internally, too. Last fall, we unveiled Ava, an internal AI assistant powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 model. Ava comes equipped with an array of features including conversation search, automatic model upgrades, and a unique “Prompt Exchange” that encourages users to share and reuse prompts, enhancing collaborative productivity. Ava’s applications are as diverse as the challenges of the modern workplace itself, from writing and reviewing code to communication enhancement, accelerated learning, and integrating internal tooling.

Since its debut, Ava has become a significant productivity booster for Instacart’s daily operations — 43% of our company relies on Ava to save over an hour a week. This includes 60% of our engineers who generate around 70,000 lines of code using Ava every month. Each month, Ava’s Slack plugin is invoked over 5,000 times in threads and group conversations and summarizes over 200 threads and channels.

We interviewed five of our employees from various teams across Instacart, each sharing their unique experiences and insights on how Ava has optimized their workflow and boosted their productivity.

Sivaram Sukumar, Director, Media Analytics

What is your role at Instacart?

As the leader of the Media Analytics Scalability team at Instacart, I am responsible for developing self-serve data enablement tools tailored for our Brand Partnership organization. These tools are pivotal for empowering our partners with actionable insights and driving data-driven decisions.

When did you first start using Ava?

I’ve been a proponent of AI’s potential since the inception of ChatGPT and adopted Ava at Instacart from day one. The immediate integration into our daily operations quickly revealed profound improvements in workflow efficiency and productivity for our team.

What specific tasks or processes in your job have you automated or improved using Ava?

• Code Understanding: This year challenged us with various projects requiring rapid assimilation of unfamiliar codebases. Ava was an invaluable assistant, demystifying lengthy and complex code.
• Syntax Error Resolution: Syntax errors can drain hours of productive time. With Ava, we can input the problematic code and error messages, and in 80–90% of cases, it instantly provides a solution.
• Efficient Summarization: Ava’s ability to concisely summarize Slack conversations, documents, meetings, and articles has significantly enhanced our capability to distill and act upon key information.
• Internal Knowledge Search: Through custom-built Slack bots powered by Ava, we’ve optimized our ability to rapidly search internal resources such as Confluence/Wiki, which has greatly enhanced our information retrieval processes.
• Ideation & Documentation: Ava has been instrumental in developing significant documentation. It has aided in formulating the framework for our CPG AI taskforce, revising job descriptions for key roles, and devising new initiatives aimed at organizational productivity improvements.
• Communication: Ava has become an integral part of my communication workflow, readily assisting in the drafting, reviewing, and editing of broad email communications within Instacart, significantly accelerating the review process and improving the quality of the final output.

What outcomes has your team been able to reach with Ava’s help?

Leveraging Ava’s capabilities significantly streamlined our recruitment process. When tasked with filling a new role within my team, I utilized Ava to refine and develop a more compelling job description. Since its implementation, we’ve observed a substantial surge in applications — a triple-digit increase since the last job posting in our team.

Did you receive training to use Ava, or did you self-learn?

My journey learning Ava has been rooted in direct, hands-on experimentation testing a spectrum of prompts and queries to decipher Ava’s full range of functionality. I have also dedicated a significant portion of my time to digesting industry insights through podcasts, articles, and newsletters to keep up with the latest developments in the field of AI while informing my experimentation and application. I highly recommend Ben’s Bites Newsletter, The Cognitive Revolution Podcast, Latent Space Podcast, and OpenAI’s latest Prompt Engineering best practices!

Can you share a situation where you faced a particularly challenging or time-consuming task, and you used Ava to streamline or simplify it? What were the results?

With Ava’s guidance, we created a tool that analyzes the impact on queries ahead of planned code changes. This automated search empowers all team members with self-serve access to crucial information, which previously depended on the specific expertise of one or two team members. Ava advised on best practices for UI design, provided curated code examples, and enabled us to bridge knowledge gaps and streamline the development process.

Can you provide an example of a project or task where you collaborated with colleagues and used Ava to improve teamwork and achieve better results?

We formed a cross-functional task force dedicated to harnessing Generative AI for enhanced efficiency, productivity, and revenue discovery (CPG.AI). One project example was the creation of a dedicated Ava Brand Partnerships dashboard that provides real-time analytics on Ava user engagement, including the number of active users, frequency, and patterns of conversations, as well as the variety of prompts being leveraged. We are now able to identify high-impact use cases, common bottlenecks, and use insights to directly influence our approach. This has enabled us to tailor Ava training sessions, create relevant communication materials, and iterate on Ava functionalities to better fit our organizational workflows.

How do you see the role of AI tools evolving in your industry or profession in the future, and how do you plan to adapt your skills accordingly?

AI is poised to be the most significant technological revolution since the internet and holds the potential to revolutionize, augment, and invent new industry verticals. Our team has prioritized staying abreast of AI trends and capabilities. Within the past 6–8 months, our team has already experienced efficiency and productivity increases of 20–30% through the integration of Ava and other co-pilot AI tools that automate workflows and routine tasks. We’re actively fostering a culture of innovation where team members are encouraged to explore AI applications and share their discoveries to ensure that we’re ready to embrace the myriad possibilities that AI will unfold in the future.

Rodrigo Cordeiro, Sr. Manager for Operations

What is your role at Instacart?

As the Senior Manager for Operations, I am responsible for driving a variety of strategic projects/programs for Instacart.

When did you first start using Ava?

I started using Ava the day it came out. I was previously using the Pro version of GPT-4, but for personal use.

What specific tasks or processes in your job have you automated or improved using Ava?

Utilizing Ava as a creative partner during the early stages of projects and programs, as well as during the development of strategic proposals. Ava has been invaluable in structuring my ideas, particularly when my thoughts seem scattered or disjointed. For example, while strategizing for an AI project in the Catalyst program [Instacart’s team of volunteers from across the company who are early experimenters and adopters of AI-powered tools in their daily work], Ava helped transform my ideas into a cohesive, structured outline. I was able to better conceptualize, create, and refine my narrative, saving significant time and enhancing original ideas.

Another considerable achievement has been the refinement of my communication prompts for models. This not only improved the quality of the model’s outputs but also honed my email crafting skills, making the content direct, concise, and succinct.

What outcomes has your team been able to reach with Ava’s help?

Since September of 2023, my writing email assistant Ava prompt that rates directness, assertiveness, and succinctness has been leveraged over 150 times, making it a top 15 Ava prompt in the company.

Did you receive training to use Ava, or did you self-learn?

Most of my knowledge is self-acquired, stemming from a continuous learning mindset. Outside of regular work hours, I navigated the nascent stages of these tools by immersing myself in various learning resources — from YouTube technical talks to podcasts and articles on prompting. I also made it a point to subscribe to industry newsletters and participated in early pilot programs such as Bard and MidJourney.

I tend to interact with the model using specific instructions rather than posing questions, despite my natural inclination for the latter. When the model’s output does not meet my expectations, I provide feedback, each time presenting an illustrative example.

Can you share a situation where you faced a particularly challenging or time-consuming task, and you used Ava to streamline or simplify it? What were the results?

Recently, I was tasked with forecasting the impact of future initiatives for a team in Operations. The provided plans were dense with text and lacked proper formatting. I realized it would save me a significant amount of time if I could devise the right formula. In just a few minutes, I managed to transform this complex task into a simple one by creating a formula that efficiently extracted the cost-per-order (CpO) savings amount from the mass of text. With the help of the model, which provided me with the necessary formulas, I was able to expedite the whole process without needing additional research.

Are there any Ava features or capabilities that you wish were available to further enhance your job performance?

• Knowledge Management/Data Analysis: Being able to ask questions about our internal knowledge base.
• Upload Capabilities: Being able to upload different types of files.
• Image Generation: Leveraging the latest model to create images for presentations, etc.

Can you provide an example of a project or task where you collaborated with colleagues and used Ava to improve teamwork and achieve better results?

My biggest accomplishments thus far have been my presentations introducing the concept of Generative AI in a non-technical way to several teams including Finance, Operations, and Legal, as well as serving as the point of contact for consolidating Instacart’s G&A (general and administrative) strategy for Generative AI.

How do you see the role of AI tools evolving in your industry or profession in the future, and how do you plan to adapt your skills accordingly?

AI will reshape how we work fundamentally. It’s all about being open-minded — to experiment, stumble, learn and grow. I intend to stay ahead of the curve by enhancing my prompting skills, working creatively with my own GPT models, and focusing more on visual creation, like in a personal project involving image generation.

Kelly Noguchi, Legal Operations Manager

What is your role at Instacart?

As the Legal Operations Manager, I’m responsible for driving strategic initiatives that boost legal and business operations through technology.

When did you first start using Ava?

As soon as it came out. They had me with the smiling avocado 🥑 logo!

What specific tasks or processes in your job have you automated or improved using Ava?

With Ava, I’ve found an efficient feedback resource that aids in drafting messages. It’s like having a second set of eyes that audit and enhance my text. If Ava’s interpretations fail to reflect my original purpose, it’s a clear hint that my initial draft needs adjustment for better clarity. Ava also acts as my personal idea generator, offering an interactive and innovative take on conventional search engines. Disclaimer: Ava is a great starting point, but I always ensure to cross-check any crucial information it provides with reliable sources, to maintain the accuracy and integrity of my work.

Did you receive training to use Ava, or did you self-learn?

Self-learn. I communicate with Ava much like speaking with a colleague, asking questions, and assigning tasks. If an output wasn’t quite spot-on, I’d rephrase and provide more specific instructions until I got the results I expected (or sometimes didn’t expect, but loved). This iterative process required me to think deeply and clearly define my objectives. In a sense, teaching Ava was also teaching myself — each interaction nudged me to better clarify my own goals before framing the right questions for Ava.

Are there any Ava features or capabilities that you wish were available to further enhance your job performance?

I’d be excited to see enhancements already available with ChatGPT, like being able to upload files to Ava for synthesizing. It would also be amazing to have Ava scrape and leverage data from other platforms. Looking way ahead, I imagine kick-starting my day with a concise AI-curated briefing of my calendar and inbox, having it dynamically adapt my schedule for unexpected tasks based on insights from other platforms, and relying on real-time data during meetings for informed decision-making. I envision quick information retrieval, automated team reminders, and detailed meeting transcripts, all at my fingertips. As I wrap up my day, Ava will provide me with a crisp summary of accomplishments and next-day priorities.

How do you see the role of AI tools evolving in your industry or profession in the future, and how do you plan to adapt your skills accordingly?

I believe AI will significantly reshape our approach to knowledge management, consequently impacting training and education (which I care deeply about as an Ops person). Rather than sifting through heaps of documents, data, and wiki pages, our first point of contact will be Ava, asking pertinent questions and utilizing its responses as a springboard for deeper research. Regardless of the changes AI brings, I aim to stay adaptive, open-minded, and curious. My strategy is to learn, absorb, and mold these new enhancements to fit my workflow optimally. Generally, I plan on forging a synergistic relationship with Ava. By continuously providing feedback on its performance — the substance and bounds of its responses — I’d like to influence Ava’s development in a direction that benefits both the company and me.

Katy Turner, Program Manager

What is your role at Instacart?

I am part of the Ads Program Management team. One of my primary responsibilities revolves around helping to program manage the CPG AI Taskforce within the Brand Partnerships division. This involves overseeing strategic initiatives focused on leveraging AI to enhance collaboration with our CPG brand partners.

When did you first start using Ava?

I’ve been a fan of ChatGPT’s capabilities for personal tasks, but I had reservations about security for professional use. When Ava was introduced in July 2023, I embraced the opportunity to use it for editing work-related tasks, recognizing its enhanced security features. It wasn’t until August 2023 that I began integrating Ava into my regular workflow, harnessing its full potential to optimize efficiency.

What specific tasks or processes in your job have you automated or improved using Ava?

I use Ava for many tasks throughout my day. Its versatile capabilities range from editing my email and notes companions to playing a critical role in complex tasks like crafting a process map with consideration of key stakeholders. It’s my go-to resource for brainstorming sessions and ramping up productivity. One of the most significant enhancements has been streamlining follow-up emails post-meetings.

What outcomes has your team been able to reach with Ava’s help?

In collaboration with McKenna Lewry from the Sales Enablement team, we launched an internal Ava best practices roadshow, a series of workshops and seminars that were tailor-made to enhance the Brand Partnerships org’s interaction with Ava, showcase its capabilities, discuss specific use cases relevant to their teams and share best practices.

The most popular use cases included utilization as a copy editor, refining grammar, syntax, and sentence construction, as well as conducting SWOT analyses. The success was quantifiable, as daily active users of Ava within the Brand Partnerships org surged 50%, and daily interactions with Ava grew by approximately 40%.

Can you share a situation where you faced a particularly challenging or time-consuming task, and you used Ava to streamline or simplify it? What were the results?

Having Ava as a tool to compile meeting notes and draft recap emails has been a game-changer for my productivity as they used to be among the most time-consuming parts of my workflow. My focus on documentation often led to meetings centered around note-taking rather than meaningful engagement. Now, I can simply record the meeting with transcript generation enabled, upload the transcript to Ava, and request a concise meeting recap email. Ava delivers it complete with critical highlights, designated action items, next steps and identified DRIs, which allows me to remain fully engaged and effectively present during discussions.

Are there any Ava features or capabilities that you wish were available to further enhance your job performance?

• Data Inputs: Connectivity to internal reporting systems in order to pull Instacart data directly from Ava.
• Data Analysis: Identifying trends in a dataset. How would a change in X predict movement in Y.
• CRM Integration: Connectivity to Salesforce in order to assist with hygiene tasks.
• Timesaving Metrics: Estimations of time saved by using a predefined prompt.

How do you see the role of AI tools evolving in your industry or profession in the future, and how do you plan to adapt your skills accordingly?

I foresee AI tools playing an increasingly integral role in program management, offering enhanced automation, data analytics, and decision-making capabilities. This shift will likely lead to more efficient and streamlined processes, which will allow us to allocate resources more effectively and make data-driven decisions.

Brett VanDerBosch, Policy Operations Manager

What is your role at Instacart? Describe what you’re responsible for.

I oversee operations for the Policy and Government Affairs team.

When did you first start using Ava?

Right when it came out. I had been using ChatGPT for personal use prior, but was excited to see an internal tool.

Did you receive training to use Ava, or did you self-learn?

Largely self-acquired, which I found to be part of the fun. I would just have conversations with the tool and experiment with its capabilities. I found the learning process — understanding what it can and cannot do well — to be really helpful. I think everyone should treat it like someone you can talk to, work through an issue with, or just ask a question.

Can you share a situation where you faced a particularly challenging or time-consuming task, and you used Ava to streamline or simplify it? What were the results?

I had to write a lengthy memo about a pretty amorphous topic. I knew directionally where I wanted to go but was facing some writer’s block. I used the interview prompt, and having a partner that asked questions and helped me work through the themes and direction was helpful. Ava provided a pretty good start that I could work with and make something I was very happy with. Another example was having to parse through a dense piece of text with a lot of technical jargon and weird formatting. I just dropped it in Ava and had a concise, clean overview right away.

Are there any Ava features or capabilities that you wish were available to further enhance your job performance?

• Knowledge Management/Data Analysis: Being able to ask questions about our internal knowledge base.
• Upload Capabilities: Being able to upload different types of files.
• Image Generation: Leveraging the latest model to create images to help with presentations, etc.

How do you see the role of AI tools evolving in your industry or profession in the future, and how do you plan to adapt your skills accordingly?

I would put some nuance here in that yes, in many areas AI is fundamentally reshaping how we work, but there are also some things it simply cannot do. In Policy & Government Affairs, so much of our work is about relationships and the creative process. What that means for AI though is that it can help free up time on more menial tasks and allow us to focus on the big needle-moving projects and workstreams. That being said, I’ll continue to fully engage in the space to find ways to help our teams deliver awesome results in the most efficient way possible.