Making AI Headlines · Page 8
Uber's AI Booking Revolution Finds Four Riders and Plenty of Empty Space
· New York time
Uber said only four people booked a ride using an AI agent during its busiest week last quarter, according to TechCrunch. The figure offers a small snapshot of how often an emerging booking method was used on a large ride platform. AI agents are designed to carry out tasks for users, potentially including the steps involved in arranging a ride. Uber's disclosure suggests that, during the week it described, very few customers used an agent for that purpose. It does not establish how every customer booked, or predict how the method will perform in future quarters. The number matters because companies are promoting agents as a way to move from answering questions to doing things. A completed booking is a more concrete measure than a demonstration of what an agent might theoretically do. In this case, the concrete measure fits comfortably inside a single vehicle. Four riders may represent early curiosity about a new tool, but they are not yet a crowd. For now, the future of automated ride booking can be welcomed politely without needing a larger pickup area. The rest of the parking lot remains available for the people who have not joined it.
Read this story in the full newspaper →Satire. Not factual reporting. Read the original reporting from the linked publishers.