In a bid to become the premier “flexible work” app, Uber today launched a novel pilot program that will enable U.S. drivers and couriers to earn extra money by completing “micro-tasks” to train artificial intelligence models.
These tasks include voice recording, capturing and transmitting images, and transmitting documents in specific languages. Prompts will vary, but some examples include “upload photos of cars” or “record yourself speaking your language or local dialect.” Another example is submitting a menu written in Spanish, which can earn you up to a full dollar.
The move could make Uber’s global army of independent drivers and delivery drivers a challenge to established players like Scale AI and Amazon’s Mechanical Turks — companies and platforms that work with generative artificial intelligence companies to assist train their models by allowing humans to annotate and label the data that feeds them. Much of this work is done using affordable labor outside the United States and is seen as crucial to the development of powerful artificial intelligence models.
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It’s also one of many announcements Uber is making today as it seeks to build “the ultimate platform for flexible work,” as CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said today at an event in Washington, DC. Most of the announcements focus on drivers and couriers interacting with the app, which will make working at Uber easier, smarter and fairer. In addition to digital micro-tasks, Uber is also redesigning its ride offer cards, introducing a novel heat map that directs drivers to high-demand areas and expanding its features to give women drivers more control over their rides.
According to the company, Uber has in the past used independent contractors to train artificial intelligence models, using so-called “human-in-the-loop” processes that combine “human knowledge with machine automation.” AI solutions group. The company has recently started bought the Belgian startup Segments.ai expand its nascent data labeling business. Uber drivers in India recently received the opportunity to earn diminutive amounts of money by responding to prompts in the Uber app for the first time. Now the company is bringing its digital assignments pilot program to the United States.
Time will tell whether Uber drivers will take on these micro-tasks, given how many of them are already complaining about low wages due to the company’s high demand for rides and deliveries. Of course, Uber classifies drivers as independent contractors, arguing that they are self-employed and therefore ineligible for established benefits like overtime, minimum wage protection and health insurance. Some Uber drivers say the company’s algorithm has too much control over their lives to be viewed as anything other than employment.
In addition to digital microtasks, Uber is also changing offer sheets for drivers and couriers to give them more time and information before accepting a ride. Offer cards are what drivers see before they accept (or decline) a ride request. Now Uber is giving them more time to make a decision when the card first appears in their app. Uber is also rolling out a novel solution for couriers that “simplifies” the delivery of multiple orders with clearer pickup and drop-off details, as well as alerts for commonly missed items.
A novel heat map has been developed to provide drivers with greater clarity on high-demand areas. Red areas indicate the shortest waiting time, followed by orange and yellow. Purple areas are high-price areas that show how long drivers waited on average for a ride, based on the latest data. Drivers commuting from their homes to a high-demand area, such as a city center, can now choose between a route that gets there as quickly as possible and a route that maximizes fares along the way.
Uber is also making some changes that it says will make its app safer for both passengers and drivers. After first launching Women Rider Preferences in the US last July, the company is now making it available in more cities, including Baltimore, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Seattle, Portland and Washington, DC. This feature allows women drivers to set their preferences to only serve women and vice versa.
In markets where the feature is available, women have used it on more than 100 million trips, according to Uber. A quarter of women drivers turn it on every week, and more than half turn it on for more than 90 percent of their trips.
Uber now allows drivers to set minimum ratings for passengers based on their comfort level, turning the feature on or off depending on the situation – for example, if they employ it slow at night and rest during the day. Uber says that, when combined with consumer verification for passengers, these tools assist “give drivers greater peace of mind on every trip.”
Finally, Uber is rolling out some novel integrity updates. Drivers have long complained that they feel helpless in the face of mass app deactivations and the tedious process of reversing these decisions. Uber now says it hears these complaints and will work to alleviate them, but won’t completely eliminate the need to deactivate:
We know that losing access to Uber can be a real challenge, so we’re working to make it easier for drivers and couriers to continue earning money even when problems arise. Where possible, we will limit access to specific types of earning opportunities, rather than the full platform. For example, if a problem has been reported with alcohol delivery, drivers can still employ meals or ridesharing. As always, sedate violations, including security issues, may result in complete loss of access to Uber.
If Uber receives a complaint from a passenger about a driver, it will also allow the passenger to provide their side of the story before making a decision. And if a passenger makes false reports about a driver, they run the risk of being deactivated.
Uber is also introducing a novel trip delay guarantee, where drivers can earn more if a trip is delayed due to the customer’s fault or for exceptional reasons such as traffic or detours. It also enhances tipping reminders for passengers by extending them with live activities on iPhone, so passengers receive more tips on tipping drivers or couriers.