Uber sees limited AI agent bookings across rides and food orders

Highlights

Uber reported that during Halloween week, only four rides and 500 Uber Eats orders were booked via AI agents out of 320 million total trips and orders.
CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and CFO Balaji Krishnamurthy indicated user adoption of AI assistants remains minimal, citing faster existing app workflows as a barrier.
Uber expects long-term benefit from AI agent partnerships, noting ongoing talks with around eight major AI assistant providers despite current low transaction volumes.

Halloween week volumes highlight slow adoption

As reported by TechCrunch, Uber told investors on its third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday that AI agent usage on its platform remains extremely limited despite broader industry enthusiasm around automated task-completing assistants.

Chief financial officer Balaji Krishnamurthy says Uber handled around 320 million trips and orders across Uber and Uber Eats during the week of Halloween, but only four rides were booked through an AI agent and just 500 Uber Eats orders came through the same channel.

Chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi says the company is seeing "very, very early and very limited traction" so far. He adds that Uber hopes usage increases, but current transaction levels remain small relative to the company’s overall scale.

Speed of existing apps may limit agent appeal

Uber’s update adds to signs that the so-called agentic web is still developing commercially, even as startups and large technology groups promote AI tools that can complete purchases and other tasks on behalf of users.

DoorDash said last week on its own earnings call that it has received only a few hundred AI agent orders so far, with most customers still ordering through its app. Uber appears to be seeing similar behavior, with Khosrowshahi noting that booking a ride in the company’s app takes about 50 seconds on average and re-ordering a favorite meal takes about 90 seconds, suggesting AI agents do not yet offer a clear time-saving advantage.

Even so, Uber remains positive on the longer-term opportunity. Khosrowshahi says the company sees AI assistants as another route to its platform and expects them to be a net positive for demand across its ecosystem, adding that about eight major AI assistants are currently in the market and that every AI system company is in talks with Uber.

A recent KPMG survey of U.S. CEOs found that while many large companies are seeing incremental efficiency and growth benefits from AI agents, only a small share currently view them as truly transformational. Our earlier article also noted that executives still expect significant investment in AI infrastructure and talent, suggesting adoption is progressing but not yet reshaping core operations at scale.

This material may contain third-party opinions, none of the data and information on this webpage constitutes investment advice according to our Disclaimer. While we adhere to strict Editorial Integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners.