Uber disclosed during its latest earnings call that AI agents generated just a tiny fraction of ride and Uber Eats orders during its busiest week, highlighting slow adoption despite widespread AI hype.
- Only 4 Uber rides booked via AI agents during busiest week
- 500 Uber Eats orders placed through AI agents amid 320M trips/orders
- Uber CEO sees AI agents as a future growth opportunity despite slow start
What happened
During Uber's busiest week in late October, just four rides were booked using AI agents, according to the company's third-quarter earnings call. Uber Eats also saw low AI adoption, with only 500 orders placed via AI out of approximately 320 million total rides and orders across Uber's platforms during that period.
Uber CFO Balaji Krishnamurthy and CEO Dara Khosrowshahi acknowledged these numbers reflect very early and limited traction for AI-driven transactions. This contrasts with the current excitement around AI personal assistants capable of performing complex tasks on behalf of users.
Why it matters
The low usage of AI agents for ride and food ordering shows the agentic web is still in its infancy, despite an influx of AI startups and major technology firms pushing AI assistants. Uber's quick existing app booking process — averaging around 50 seconds for rides and 90 seconds for reordering food — may diminish the perceived value of AI agents for convenience.
Uber's results similarly mirror those shared recently by DoorDash, another major delivery platform, confirming that consumers remain primarily accustomed to traditional app interfaces despite the potential of AI agents to automate these interactions.
What to watch next
Uber CEO Khosrowshahi remains optimistic about AI agents, viewing them as a growing channel for customer engagement and demand generation over time. He noted there are currently about eight significant AI assistants on the market, expected to increase to over ten, with many AI system companies actively collaborating with Uber.
Industry watchers should monitor whether improvements in AI agent capabilities, user trust, and integration ease will drive meaningful adoption. The evolution of competing AI personal assistants from companies like OpenAI, Meta, and Google could also shape how fast AI-driven transactions gain momentum across mobility and food delivery sectors.