Uber to get an AI Assistant to help its drivers transition to EVs

Uber announced the new AI assistant among several other green initiatives at the Go Get Zero sustainability conference held in London. The ride-sharing company will employ OpenAI’s GPT-4o model, the one undergirding ChatGPT, for drivers in early 2025.

Initially, the AI Assistant will focus on queries related to electric vehicles and provide drivers with relevant information. Let’s see what more the AI can implement.

Uber AI assistant prompts driver to go electric

According to Uber, about 1,80,000 drivers in North America and Europe switch from fuel-based vehicles to EVs monthly. In London, around 30 per cent of all miles driven are now electric. The introduction of AI assistants to address drivers’ concerns about EVs is a part of Uber’s larger goal of reducing emissions by 2040. To achieve that, the drivers must shift to electric vehicles.

At the launch, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi confirmed that for now the main purpose of the AI assistant is to help drivers with questions related to EVs, such as the location of charging stations or which EV is the best to buy at the moment, etc. The ability to handle more complex questions will be added in a future update.

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The assistant will provide personalised answers based on the driver’s request, the city they are in, and any available government incentives. The drivers can access the AI assistant from the Uber driver app’s home screen.

The company is also working on receiving regular updates to ensure the AI assistant can be used in more scenarios. The company also plans to introduce a talkback feature to the AI assistant, which will allow drivers to communicate via text and voice, with the assistant responding either way.

Uber has also announced an EV mentorship program to assist drivers in transitioning to EVs further. Experienced EV drivers can earn extra cash rewards and incentives by participating in this program. It will also mentor other drivers who are interested in learning more about driving and the experience of an EV.

With OpenAI expanding into the automotive AI space, Voice assistants have become a common feature in modern vehicles. Volkswagen has begun embedding ChatGPT in its cars on a wide scale. Between Volkswagen, Uber, and experiments from Mercedes-Benz and other automobile makers, OpenAI can heavily influence how we engage with the next generation of car AI assistants.