Uber says customers rarely use AI agents to book rides
What's the story
Uber has revealed that third-party artificial intelligence (AI) agents for booking rides are yet to catch on with users. During the company's third-quarter earnings call, Uber's Chief Financial Officer Balaji Krishnamurthy said only four rides were booked through an AI agent during Halloween week, its busiest period in October. The revelation comes as a surprise amid the growing popularity of personal AI agents capable of handling tasks on behalf of users.
Limited adoption
AI agent usage for Uber Eats
While the AI agent usage for ride bookings was dismal, there was a slight uptick in its use for ordering food through Uber Eats.
However, even this number was small compared to the overall number of trips handled by the company.
During Halloween week, Uber and Uber Eats together handled some 320 million trips and orders, but only 500 of those were placed by an AI agent on Uber Eats.
Information
Hoping to gain more traction in future: Uber CEO
Uber's CEO Dara Khosrowshahi acknowledged the low number of orders placed by AI agents, saying "It is very, very early and very limited traction that we are seeing so far." He added that they hope for more traction in the future.
Adoption hurdles
DoorDash reports similar trend
The low number of AI-driven transactions isn't just limited to Uber.
DoorDash also reported a similar trend on its earnings call, revealing it has only received a few hundred orders from AI agents so far.
This suggests that despite the hype around personal AI agents, they still have a long way to go in terms of user adoption and acceptance.
Future prospects
Optimism around AI agents
Despite the current low usage of AI agents, Khosrowshahi is optimistic about their potential.
He said, "We think that is another opportunity to reach our platform. We think it will be a net positive in terms of demand on the ecosystem."
He also noted that there are currently around eight major AI assistants on the market and expects this number to grow in time.
Scenario
Stark contrast to the growing excitement around AI agents
The unexpectedly low number of AI-driven transactions comes despite rising excitement around a new generation of AI agents.
Personal AI start-ups have also gained momentum, with Instinct, one of the most talked-about players, raising its latest funding round at a $10 billion valuation after launching last year.
Meanwhile, Meta's Muse topped US App Store charts last month, crossing 10 million users, according to the company. Meta said many users were using the app to shop and make transactions with businesses.