Bolt opens ride-hailing to ChatGPT’s 900m users

Ride-hailing giant Bolt has partnered with ChatGPT, the popular AI chatbot, to integrate its services into the conversational platform, making it accessible to the chatbot's approximately 900 million weekly users. This integration, announced on Monday, positions AI assistants as a new entry point for consumer services, signaling a shift in how technology companies are seeking to embed services directly into AI-powered conversational interfaces.

With this integration, users in Nigeria and every other market where Bolt operates can now search for rides, compare route options, receive upfront fare estimates, and view driver arrival times directly within ChatGPT. After selecting a ride, users will still pay through the Bolt app, but the company plans to introduce in-chat payments later this year, streamlining the booking process further.

Bolt's Senior General Manager for West Africa, Teddy Appah-Dankyi, emphasized the growing trend of people planning their evenings through a single AI conversation rather than multiple apps. "A lot of that planning happens in one conversation with AI now," he stated. The company cited research from Accenture, which found that 80% of travelers globally now use AI tools when planning trips, and more than half are willing to let AI manage their travel arrangements.

The rollout of this integration is being implemented simultaneously across all markets where Bolt operates, reflecting the rapid pace at which technology companies are competing to position AI assistants as the primary interface for consumers to search, plan, and purchase services. Founded in Estonia, Bolt currently operates in over 50 countries and more than 850 cities, serving more than 200 million customers and working with over 4.5 million drivers worldwide.