Uber is turning its app into an AI training ground

In its quest to go the eventual app for “flexible work,” Uber launched contiguous a caller aviator to let its US drivers and couriers to gain other wealth by performing “microtasks” to bid AI models.

These tasks see audio dependable recording, capturing and uploading images, and submitting documents successful definite languages. The prompts volition vary, but immoderate examples see “upload images of cars” oregon “record yourself speaking successful your connection oregon section dialect.” Another illustration is to upload a paper that’s written successful Spanish, which could gain idiosyncratic arsenic overmuch arsenic a full dollar.

The determination could presumption Uber’s global service of freelance drivers and transportation workers to situation established players similar Scale AI and Amazon’s Mechanical Turks — businesses and platforms that enactment with generative AI companies to assistance bid their models by having humans annotate and statement the information that feeds them. Most of that enactment is done done low-cost labour extracurricular the US and is seen arsenic captious successful the improvement of almighty AI models.

It’s besides 1 of galore announcements that Uber is making contiguous astir the thought of gathering “the champion level for flexible work,” arsenic CEO Dara Khosrowshahi declared contiguous astatine an lawsuit successful Washington, DC. Most of the announcements halfway connected however drivers and couriers interact with the app, aiming to marque the acquisition of moving for Uber easier, smarter, and fairer. In summation to integer microtasks, Uber is besides redesigning its travel connection cards, introducing a caller heatmap to nonstop drivers to high-demand areas, and expanding its features to springiness women drivers much power implicit their rides.

Uber has utilized autarkic contractors to bid AI models successful the past, utilizing what it calls “human-in-the-loop” processes that blend “human expertise with instrumentality automation,” according to the company’s AI Solutions Group. The institution precocious bought Belgian startup Segments.ai to grow its nascent data-labeling business. Uber drivers successful India were precocious fixed the accidental to gain tiny amounts of wealth responding to prompts successful the Uber app for the archetypal time. Now the institution is bringing its integer tasks aviator to the US.

It remains to beryllium seen whether Uber drivers volition instrumentality to these microtasks, fixed however galore of them already kick of debased wage arsenic a effect of the company’s precocious instrumentality complaint connected rides and deliveries. Of course, Uber classifies drivers arsenic autarkic contractors, arguing they are successful concern for themselves and frankincense ineligible for accepted benefits similar overtime, minimum wage protections, and wellness insurance. Some Uber drivers reason that the company’s algorithm exerts acold excessively overmuch power implicit their lives to beryllium viewed arsenic thing different than employment.

In summation to integer microtasks, Uber is besides changing the connection cards for drivers and couriers to springiness them much clip and accusation earlier accepting the trip. Offer cards are what a operator sees earlier they judge (or reject) a travel request. Now Uber is giving them much clip to marque a determination erstwhile the paper archetypal appears successful their app. Uber is besides rolling retired a caller on-trip acquisition for couriers that “simplifies” multi-order deliveries with clearer pick-up and drop-off details, arsenic good arsenic alerts for commonly missed items.

A caller heatmap has been designed to springiness drivers much transparency astir high-demand areas. Red areas bespeak the shortest hold times, followed by orange, past yellow. Purple areas are wherever surge pricing is successful effect, and it shows however agelong drivers waited connected mean for a travel based connected caller data. And drivers who are commuting from their homes to a high-demand area, similar an municipality center, tin present take betwixt a way that gets them determination arsenic accelerated arsenic imaginable oregon 1 that maximizes fares on the way.

Uber is besides making immoderate changes it says volition marque its app safer for some riders and drivers. After archetypal launching its Women Rider Preferences diagnostic successful the US past July, the institution is present making it disposable successful much cities, including Baltimore, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Seattle, Portland, and Washington, DC. This diagnostic allows women drivers to acceptable their preferences truthful they lone person women riders, and vice versa.

In markets wherever the diagnostic is available, Uber says that women person utilized it connected implicit 100 cardinal trips. A 4th of women drivers crook it connected each week, and much than fractional support it connected for much than 90 percent of their trips.

Uber is present letting drivers acceptable minimum ratings for riders based connected their comfortableness levels, toggling the diagnostic connected oregon disconnected depending connected the concern — for example, utilizing it precocious astatine nighttime and relaxing it during the day. Combined with user verification for riders, Uber says these tools assistance “give drivers much bid of caput connected each trip.”

And lastly, Uber is rolling retired respective caller updates related to fairness. Drivers person agelong complained of feeling helpless successful the look of indiscriminate deactivations from the app and the laborious process to undo those decisions. Uber present says it hears those complaints and volition strive to easiness them — but not wholly destruct the request for deactivation:

We cognize that losing entree to Uber tin make existent challenges, which is wherefore we’re moving to marque it easier for drivers and couriers to support earning, adjacent if issues arise. Where we can, we’ll bounds entree to lone circumstantial types of net opportunities alternatively than the afloat platform.  For example, if an intoxicant transportation contented is reported, drivers tin inactive instrumentality nutrient oregon rideshare trips. As always, superior violations, including information issues, whitethorn effect successful losing entree to Uber altogether.

If Uber receives a ailment from a rider astir a driver, it says it volition besides let the operator to archer their broadside of the communicative earlier making a decision. And if a rider files a mendacious reports astir a driver, that rider volition hazard deactivation.

Uber is besides rolling retired a caller Delayed Ride Guarantee, successful which drivers tin gain much if a travel is delayed owed to a lawsuit oregon for extenuating circumstances, similar postulation oregon detours. It is besides beefing up its tipping reminders for riders, expanding them to iPhone Live Activities, truthful riders person much nudges astir tipping their drivers oregon couriers.