Uber Data Highlights AI Agent Struggle

The promise of AI agents handling complex tasks on behalf of users is colliding with a lack of consumer adoption, according to reporting from TechCrunch.

During a third-quarter earnings call, Uber revealed that during its busiest week in October—the week of Halloween—only four rides were ordered via AI agents. While Uber Eats saw slightly more activity, CFO Balaji Krishnamurthy told analysts that only 500 orders were placed by AI agents out of approximately 320 million total trips and orders during that same period. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi described the current traction as "very, very early" and "very limited."

Khosrowshahi noted that the efficiency of existing apps undermines the agent value proposition, stating that booking a ride takes only 50 seconds and re-ordering food takes 90 seconds in the Uber app. This trend is mirrored at DoorDash, which TechCrunch reports said last week that it has received only a few hundred orders from AI agents, as most customers continue to use the company's app.

These figures stand in contrast to significant market momentum. TechCrunch notes that the startup Instinct recently raised funding at a $10 billion valuation, and Meta reported that its Muse app topped 10 million users last month, becoming the No. 1 app in the U.S. App Store. Other major players offering agents include Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and SpaceXAI (Grok).

Despite the low volume, Khosrowshahi remains bullish, stating that AI agents represent another opportunity to reach the platform and will be a "net positive" for ecosystem demand. He noted that while there are currently about eight major AI assistants, he expects that number to grow to more than 10.