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Why Arya exists, and what it stands for

Arya is my answer to "Build for Your World". It puts Meta's models to work in a world I know firsthand: the weekly grocery shop.

The problem​

Keeping track of groceries is a small job that never ends. You remember the list, then forget it at the store. You buy what you already have. You cannot say where the money went. I had this problem, so I built Arya for myself first. How the app solves it, step by step, is in the README, What is Arya.

Who it is for​

Shoppers. The people who keep a household or a group fed, and who remember what is running out. If you shop for a household, or share a list with housemates, family or a group, Arya is for you.

Principles​

  1. For shoppers, and built up with them. The store maps come from shoppers' own scans, and lists are shared by the households and groups who use them. Shoppers helping each other is the point.
  2. Free to use. It costs money to keep running (the AI reading). You can see what you use in Settings, About Arya, Keeping Arya running. Nothing in it is for sale, there are no ads, and I do not sell your data.
  3. The model proposes, code checks. A model reads the receipt. Plain code checks every line before anything posts. You can trust the numbers because the arithmetic is checked, not guessed.
  4. Yours by default. Your receipts and lists are yours. A group sees its members' lists and receipts. If you leave, your receipts go with you. Arya uses no prices from store sites, flyers or the web.
  5. Limits stated. Built and tested with US receipts, dollars and stores first. Other markets are not tested. What is not live is marked as such. The full list is under Known limits.

Where to read more​

The README for the app, who else is out there, the roadmap for what is next, and the decision log for the choices behind it.