The new Uber: AI, robotaxis, and the end of human driving

Kara Swisher sits down with Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi for a deep dive into how AI is powering Uber’s entire business — from pricing and routing to customer service, robotaxis, and sidewalk delivery robots.

Uber now partners with 20+ autonomous vehicle companies, and it’s pushing aggressively into driverless rides. While it’s decades away from a fully autonomous fleet, Dara says the quiet part out loud: one day, society may decide humans aren’t safe enough to drive.

Kara and Khosrowshahi break down what the rise of AI means for jobs, congestion, climate goals, regulation, and Uber’s future business model — and why autonomous vehicles could reshape cities more than the smartphone did.

Recorded live at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center as part of its Discovery Series on Artificial Intelligence.

Chapters:

00:00 Uber’s long history with applied AI
03:11 The business value of AI and why models are getting more powerful
05:26 AI tools boosting developer productivity at Uber
08:02 Why customer service AI is harder than expected
12:16 The rise of autonomous vehicles on Uber
14:58 Why Uber sees AVs as its biggest long-term opportunity
18:26 Uber’s partnerships with AV manufacturers and strategy shift
21:46 Who will own future robotaxi fleets?
29:14 Safety, regulation, and who’s liable when an AV makes a mistake
36:56 Should humans still be allowed to drive?

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