Uber taps driver partners for AI tasks, expands earning options with pilot programme
Uber is piloting the programme across 12 cities and looks to bring usually outsourced tasks to its delivery partner ecosystem.
Ride-hailing giant Uber India is tapping into its driver ecosystem to bring its usually outsourced AI data-labelling needs in-house through a pilot programme.
The pilot, which is live across 12 cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, as well as smaller markets of Pune and Jaipur, among others, will also provide its drivers with alternative earnings options beyond ride sharing.
To earn more, driver partners can now complete tasks including labelling images, classifying short text, counting objects, and digitising receipts—all key components for building artificial intelligence models.
The pilot program aims to provide Uber drivers with an additional income stream.
The programme, floated by Uber AI Solutions, can be used by drivers, especially during downtimes when the ride demand is low.
“This pilot is about giving drivers more choice, flexibility, and ways to earn,” said Megha Yethadka, Global Head, Uber AI Solutions. “Drivers can face downtime at certain times of the day, and digital tasks offer a way to make that time productive. Early engagement has been strong, with many thousands of tasks already completed.
Yethadka, on LinkedIn, said that the company is eager to scale this further on the back of promising early results.
If successful, the India pilot could become a template for similar initiatives in other markets and would give the company’s vast network of drivers and delivery partners a role in the AI economy, the company said.
The programme comes on the heels of several new features being rolled out on the Uber app, including booking rides for lower fares at each age for slightly longer waiting time, metro ticket booking, and a price lock feature—due to launch in December—that will help riders lock in fares for their most frequented routes.
Uber competes with ride-hailing platforms including Ola Consumer, Rapido, and Namma Yatri in India. The ride-hailing segment in India is seeing rising competition among key players, with many companies rolling out new features and subscription models to gain an edge over other players.
Edited by Kanishk Singh