Third-party AI agents arranged just four Uber rides during the third quarter of 2026, according to figures Uber executives shared on an earnings call. Uber Eats saw more activity from agents: “around 500” orders during the week of Halloween. Together, those transactions sit alongside a reported total of 320 million Uber rides and Uber Eats deliveries.
A first look at AI agent activity
This was the first time Uber disclosed how many rides or deliveries on its platform had been arranged by third-party AI agents. The figures give a concrete, if early, view of a concern that has been building around AI and online services: customers might turn to an assistant to book a ride or order food instead of opening the service’s own app.
That shift is often described as disintermediation. In practical terms, an AI agent would become the customer’s route to a service such as Uber, handling the request without the person using the platform directly. The disclosed figures suggest that this route has played a very small role in Uber’s transactions so far.
The numbers cover different periods: rides arranged by agents during the third quarter of 2026, and Uber Eats orders during the week of Halloween. They should be read as an early snapshot rather than a broad measure of how customers use AI agents over time.
Uber is open to third-party agents, with reservations
Uber’s executives said the company is willing to work with outside AI companies to make its services easier for agents to use. At the same time, they expressed confidence that many customers will prefer Uber’s direct experience in its own app.
CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said, “We hope that there will be more traction,” and described the company’s aim of making services available to consumers in an easy, appealing way. He added that Uber sees its direct services as the most appealing and easy to use, while saying it would work with third parties.
Khosrowshahi also emphasized that the market is at an early stage and said Uber does not want to depend on any single player. That position leaves room for partnerships while signaling that the company wants to retain flexibility as AI tools develop.
Agents still face friction
The small number of agent-arranged transactions comes amid uncertainty about whether current AI agents are ready to handle everyday tasks reliably. The source describes friction points that still need to be addressed before people see agents as a viable way to order food or book a ride.
Platforms also have a business reason to be cautious. Uber and DoorDash have little incentive to let outside agents replace the customer relationship they currently have through their own services. That makes broader access a question of both technical readiness and whether platforms choose to support it.
AI companies may continue to pursue ordering and booking as important uses for their agents, but gaining platform cooperation could be difficult. The source frames that as an ongoing challenge, rather than a settled outcome.
Uber is building AI into its own service
Uber is also developing AI features designed to keep customers within its platform. Earlier this year, it rolled out a Cart Assistant for Uber Eats. The tool can build a grocery list from an image of a recipe or from a text prompt.
That feature points to another way AI could shape commerce: instead of sending a customer to an outside agent, the platform can add an assistant to its own app. Uber’s approach combines openness to third-party tools with investment in direct services, as the company waits to see how consumers use AI for rides and food deliveries.
For now, the disclosed totals show that third-party agents have arranged very few Uber rides, while Uber Eats has recorded some agent-driven orders. Whether those numbers grow will depend on the usefulness of the agents, the friction involved, and how platforms decide to work with them.