Uber Technologies has reduced around 10% of its customer service workforce as part of a broader organisational restructuring tied to its growing use of artificial intelligence, marking the first time the ride-hailing company has explicitly linked job cuts to its AI strategy.
The layoffs affect employees within Uber's Community Operations division, the global team responsible for customer support for riders, drivers and delivery partners. Alongside the workforce reduction, the company has also asked remote employees in the division to relocate closer to designated office hubs in line with its return-to-office policy.
According to the company, the changes are aimed at simplifying operations, strengthening in-person collaboration and accelerating the integration of AI across customer support functions. An Uber spokesperson said the restructuring is intended to create a more streamlined organisation while enabling the company to expand its use of AI technologies.
The move comes as technology companies increasingly deploy AI-powered tools to automate customer interactions, internal workflows and operational processes. AI agents are being used across industries to handle routine customer queries, assist support teams and improve response times, prompting many organisations to reassess workforce requirements.
Uber's latest announcement follows another round of restructuring earlier this year, when the company reduced nearly 23% of its People and Places division, which oversees human resources, talent acquisition and workplace operations. At the time, Uber stated that those cuts were part of an organisational redesign and were not directly related to AI.
The latest reduction, however, represents a notable shift in messaging. It is the first time Uber has publicly identified AI adoption as one of the drivers behind workforce restructuring, placing it among a growing number of technology companies that are increasingly tying organisational changes to automation initiatives.
Uber executives have previously indicated that artificial intelligence is becoming deeply embedded across the company's operations. During recent earnings discussions, Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi said Uber is slowing hiring while increasing investments in AI. He noted that AI tools are already being used across engineering, legal, marketing and other business functions to improve employee productivity rather than operate independently.
The restructuring also reflects a broader trend across Silicon Valley, where companies are balancing investments in AI with efforts to simplify organisational structures. Several technology firms, including IBM, Salesforce, Oracle, Block and Snap, have announced workforce reductions while expanding AI capabilities or recruiting for specialised AI roles. Industry reports suggest AI is increasingly being cited as a factor in corporate restructuring, even as demand grows for professionals with AI engineering, machine learning and data science expertise.
Within Uber, executives said the Community Operations organisation had become increasingly complex, prompting a redesign intended to improve operational efficiency and decision-making. The company believes a leaner structure, combined with greater AI integration, will allow support teams to focus on more complex customer issues while automation handles repetitive tasks.
The announcement adds to the ongoing discussion around AI's impact on employment. While businesses continue to highlight productivity gains and operational efficiencies, workforce experts have also pointed to the need for reskilling and redeployment as AI becomes more deeply integrated into enterprise operations.
For Uber, the latest restructuring underscores how AI is moving beyond experimentation into core business functions, with customer service emerging as one of the first areas where automation is reshaping workforce strategies.