Uber Technologies Inc. is joining the ranks of companies that are implementing AI-powered chatbots to enhance various areas like customer service and marketing. The news was shared by CEO Dara Khosrowshahi on Tuesday during an interview on Bloomberg Technology.
Khosrowshahi didn’t divulge many details about the specific capabilities of the chatbot, but he emphasized how Uber has been leveraging AI for years. He explained, “Every time you get matched up with a car or a courier, there are algorithms making that happen, from the time of day, distance, all of that is driven by machine learning.
Uber’s competitors in the delivery space aren’t being left behind either. Both DoorDash Inc. and Instacart Inc. are also in the process of building chatbots. DoorDash is developing a system named DashAI, which aims to expedite ordering and assist customers in finding food options on the app. In contrast, Instacart has already launched a feature called “Ask Instacart”, which uses OpenAI Inc’s API to answer customer questions about food preparation.
Despite these technological advances, Uber’s financial news was mixed. On Tuesday, the company reported its first-ever operating profit. However, revenue fell short of analysts’ expectations, and growth appeared to be slowing, causing the stock to drop by about 6%.
