Uber fulfilled just 4 rides arranged by AI agents last quarter

Uber executives said third-party AI agents arranged only four rides during the third quarter of 2026, while around 500 Uber Eats deliveries were fulfilled by such agents during the week of Halloween. The figures came from 320 million Uber rides and Uber Eats deliveries overall, and Uber said this was the first time it disclosed counts for third-party AI agents on its platform.

Disintermediation concerns remain small

With AI agents such as Meta's Muse and OpenAI's Dots, some experts predict platforms like Uber and DoorDash could face disintermediation, where customers use agents to order food or book rides instead of visiting an app directly. Uber's early figures suggest that risk is still very small. Platform operators also have little incentive to let agents replace their own customers.

Uber plans to work with third parties

During the call, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the company hopes for more traction and wants services to be available to consumers in a delightful, easy way. He said Uber's direct services are expected to be the most delightful and easy, but the company will work with third parties. He also said it is very early, that Uber wants to avoid dependence on any one player, and that the company is well positioned going forward.

Uber builds its own AI tools

Uber is also developing its own AI tools to keep customers using its platform. Earlier this year, the company rolled out a Cart Assistant for Uber Eats, in which an AI bot builds a grocery list based on an image of a recipe or a text prompt. AI companies know this is a primary use case, and getting Uber to agree to more disintermediation will be a tough ask.

Sources: The Verge