Uber Maintains Stable AI Spend Amidst Operational Cuts

Uber Technologies Inc. is integrating artificial intelligence into its consumer app and internal operations while maintaining stable spending despite rising adoption. The company has achieved this by implementing lower-cost models, optimizing default settings for specific use cases, and requiring employees to track expenditures. CFO Balaji Krishnamurthy reported that these measures have decreased the cost per token over recent months.

CEO Dara Khosrowshahi described the company's strategy as focusing on "thousands of small hits" and incremental improvements to the ecosystem rather than seeking a single giant breakthrough. Current consumer-facing AI features include destination suggestions for riders and a grocery Cart Assistant that has doubled average cart sizes for users.

Internally, the company has used AI to reshape its operations, leading to the layoff of approximately 10% of its customer service staff last month to drive efficiency. While Uber currently facilitates hundreds of thousands of autonomous vehicle rides weekly, Khosrowshahi noted that robotaxis require more extensive real-world testing and government approvals than digital chatbots.