'Platform for work' | Uber will pay drivers to complete AI-related gigs, CEO reveals

Uber is positioning its platform as a broader work hub by planning a US trial that offers AI-related tasks to drivers and couriers.

CEO Dara Khosrowshahi laid out the initiative on the company’s Nov. 4 Q3 earnings call, framing the effort as a way to widen earning opportunities beyond trips or deliveries. “Another way of looking at our platform is that we’re a platform for work,” he said.

The company intends to pilot a program called Digital Tasks, which will give users the option to complete short assignments designed to support artificial intelligence systems. The model has already been tested in India, where users help train machine-learning models through the Uber Driver app. Khosrowshahi said the aim is to make the program available across Uber’s markets over time.

AI gigs bring higher-skill options

Some roles within Digital Tasks may require specialized training. Khosrowshahi said particular assignments “require PhDs, for example, in physics, in order to get the gig done,” and that pay for those tasks is higher than traditional trips.