tech
Uber's product chief on hotels, robotaxis, and why the company doesn't want to be "everything for everyone"
Uber Chief Product Officer Sachin Kansal walks TechCrunch through the company's financial-services ambitions, its increasingly complicated relationship with Waymo, its new AV Labs data operation, and how AI is starting to show up in ways riders and drivers will actually notice.
TL;DR
- Uber is expanding into travel, offering hotel bookings (via Expedia) and boat rentals, positioning travel as the 'third leg' alongside rides and eats.
- The company is developing AV Labs, equipping vehicles with sensors to gather driving data for autonomous vehicle partners, and to gain leverage in a competitive landscape.
- Uber offers financial services for drivers, such as the Uber Pro card, and is experimenting with similar products for merchants.
- Uber Eats has become independently profitable over the last several quarters.
- The relationship with Waymo is complex, as they are both partners and competitors; Uber's AV Labs aims to provide infrastructure for multiple autonomous vehicle players.
- Uber is selling data labeling services to Gen AI companies and is bullish on this new business segment.
- AI is being implemented to assist earners with making more money, help with grocery orders on Uber Eats, and facilitate ride requests via voice commands.
- Uber One membership has 51 million members and significantly increases user engagement across different services.