Uber says AI will streamline support as workers face cuts and office returns

Uber says AI will streamline support as workers face cuts and office returns
Uber is making another pointed bet on artificial intelligence, this time with immediate consequences for its customer service workforce. The company says the changes are about efficiency and better execution; for employees, they also mean layoffs and a sharper return to office life.

Uber said it is cutting about 10% of its community operations team, the group tied closely to customer support, while also requiring many remote workers to relocate to a city with an Uber office and work in person three days a week. The company has framed both moves as part of the same restructuring push.

From management’s perspective, the argument is straightforward: AI can help the company handle customer issues faster and at greater scale, but only if the underlying organization is less fragmented. In an internal memo cited by Business Insider, Uber executive Megha Yethadka said AI presents “a massive opportunity for us to accelerate output, improve quality, and scale customer solutions at pace,” adding that “we cannot scale frontier technology on top of fragmented processes.”

Publicly, Uber has paired that AI rationale with a more traditional corporate explanation. A spokesperson said the company is making “structural changes” to “simplify operations, strengthen in-person collaboration, and continue to embrace AI.” That language, echoed in coverage from The Verge, suggests Uber sees office attendance and AI adoption as complementary rather than separate decisions.

The broader tension is familiar across the tech industry. Companies increasingly describe AI as a productivity tool, but workers often experience those investments through job cuts, reorganizations, or stricter workplace rules. In Uber’s case, both available reports agree on the core facts: the company is reducing customer service headcount and tightening its workplace expectations as it pushes deeper into AI.

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