Uber's AI Agents Booked Four Rides And About 500 Eats Orders In One Of Its Biggest Weeks
The CFO called third-party agent traction "very, very early," while the CEO said Uber's priority is getting customers to book in its own app.
Third-party AI agents fulfilled four Uber rides and about 500 Uber Eats orders last week, Uber CFO Balaji Krishnamurthy said on the company's third-quarter earnings call Wednesday. He said it was one of Uber's largest weeks ever because of Halloween, with just around 320 million trips across Uber and Uber Eats.
Four trips out of 320 million
Asked for transaction volumes by CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Krishnamurthy said agent-sourced Uber Eats orders were "around 500 orders total." For rides, he said, "a grand total of four trips" came from agents. He summed it up as "very, very early and very limited traction."
The numbers followed a question from a JPMorgan analyst about building agentic AI into Uber's own platform and about opportunities on third-party platforms.
Khosrowshahi: come direct
Khosrowshahi said Uber's focus is the best direct experience. Members account for more than 50% of bookings, he said, and the average ride booking takes 50 seconds. He said 75% of rides are a single tap, and the median eater reorders a favorite in 90 seconds.
He recalled working in the travel business, "where we were dependent on the Googles of the world. I don't want to go back there."
Uber's own cart assistant is producing baskets roughly twice the average size, he said. Uber is also negotiating terms with third-party AI assistants. He counted eight now and expects more than 10, and said he expects them to be a net positive for demand. "We hope that there will be more traction," he said, adding that Uber wants to avoid depending on any one player.
Uber One as the defense
Uber, which runs a platform connecting riders, eaters and shippers with drivers, couriers and merchants, has about 55 million Uber One members, Khosrowshahi said. He called those direct consumer relationships central to the company's AI approach: using AI to simplify transactions while selectively exploring new distribution channels that could bring incremental demand.
Khosrowshahi closed the answer on the same note: Uber will work with the agent platforms, but he wants the direct app to be the most delightful and easy option.
Sources
- Uber Q3 2026 earnings show revenue growth slowed on driver shortages — qz.com
- Uber (UBER) Q3 2026 earnings — CNBC
- Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi on Q3 results: We have more demand than we have supply — CNBC
- Uber outperforms Q3 expectations but Q4 outlook misses lofty estimates (UBER:NYSE) | Seeking Alpha — seekingalpha.com
- Uber’s Delivery Business Catches Up to Ride-Sharing. Robo-Taxis Are Next. — Barron's
