Uber Lays Off 10% of Customer Service Staff, Replaces Them with AI

Uber has laid off 10 per cent of its customer service division, with plans to replace the affected workers with artificial intelligence. A company spokesperson said the move was part of an effort to simplify operations and strengthen the adoption of AI.

The layoffs impacted the Community Operations division, Uber’s global customer support network that serves various business lines across multiple countries and languages. This division includes region-specific teams that work closely with local businesses and drivers.

In a memo to her team, Vice President of Global Community Operations Megha Yethadka said the division’s organisational structure had become overly complex, with many parts operating in silos. Although the division had already made progress in using AI, she noted that organisational adjustments were necessary to scale the technology more broadly.

A Bloomberg report did not detail exactly how Uber will deploy generative AI within Community Operations. However, AI agents for customer service have advanced significantly in recent years, with voice-based technology now capable of communicating naturally with users and better understanding their questions, needs, and complaints.