Uber Cuts Customer Service Staff to Leverage AI Efficiency

Uber Technologies reduced its customer service workforce by 10% on July 22, 2026, targeting the community operations team. This marks the first time the company has explicitly linked job cuts to efficiency gains from artificial intelligence. The restructuring aims to simplify a corporate structure that leadership described as "too complex and siloed."

Alongside the layoffs, the company is requiring remote employees within this division to relocate to hub offices to comply with a return-to-office mandate. These cuts follow a larger reduction in June, when Uber cut its people division by 23%. In May, the company had previously indicated that AI integration would slow its overall hiring pace.

Despite these reductions, Uber continues to recruit for over 500 positions, specifically targeting engineers to support robotaxi partnerships. This strategy aligns with a 2026 industry trend seen at companies like Amazon, Oracle, and Block, where firms are restructuring workforces to prioritize automation.