In a bold counter-narrative to the prevailing tech industry anxiety, Uber's top executive has declared that the age of artificial intelligence is not replacing engineers but supercharging them, leading to aggressive hiring. Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi stated that Uber is actively recruiting more engineering talent because AI tools have dramatically increased each engineer's value and output.
AI Creates 'Superhuman' Engineers, Spurs Hiring
Speaking on the popular "On with Kara Swisher" podcast, Khosrowshahi shared his unique perspective. While many technology leaders fear AI might reduce engineer productivity or headcount, the Uber CEO holds the opposite view. "I just think they become superhumans," Khosrowshahi remarked. He elaborated that this enhanced capability is precisely why the mobility and delivery giant is expanding its tech team. "So we are actually hiring more engineers because every engineer got more valuable to me," he affirmed.
The adoption of AI within Uber's development ranks is already widespread. Khosrowshahi revealed that an impressive 80% to 90% of Uber's developers now regularly use AI tools in their workflow. This integration has revolutionized problem-solving. Previously, scores of engineers had to be on standby, investing "hours and hours" to diagnose system failures. Now, AI agents perform continuous, real-time monitoring. "AI agents are 'constantly looking at all of our systems' and helping to diagnose problems," he explained. The human role then evolves to oversight: "And then the human can look over the shoulder of the AI agent."
Uber as an 'Applied AI' Business: Practical Benefits and Financial Gains
Khosrowshahi described Uber as fundamentally an "applied AI" business, leveraging the technology across its entire operation. This includes core functions like:
- Dynamic pricing and payment systems
- Matching riders with drivers and restaurants with customers
- Optimizing routing for deliveries and rides
- Fraud identification and prevention
- Managing and resolving customer complaints
Addressing concerns of an AI investment bubble, the CEO acknowledged that stock valuations might seem frothy and data center spending is "massive." However, for Uber, the payoff is tangible and substantial. He emphasized that the value creation is not in futuristic experiments but in "very practical" applications. A prime example is using AI to determine what item to recommend next to a user on the Uber Eats app after they add a carton of oat milk to their cart.
The financial impact is undeniable. Khosrowshahi stated that the latest AI models are "enormously more effective" than their predecessors and are already generating "hundreds of millions of dollars of benefit" for the company. He confidently concluded that Uber's AI expenditure "has been well worth it and then some." While Uber isn't building the foundational AI infrastructure (the "picks and shovels"), it is successfully riding the wave of this technological spend to drive efficiency and growth.
Strategic Implications for the Tech Job Market
Khosrowshahi's stance presents a significant narrative for India's vast pool of software engineering talent. Instead of AI acting as a force for job displacement at a company like Uber, it is framed as a force multiplier that increases demand for skilled professionals who can work alongside advanced AI tools. This perspective suggests that the future of tech jobs, particularly in product-driven companies, may hinge on synergy between human expertise and artificial intelligence, rather than substitution. Uber's continued hiring in this domain signals a strategic bet on this hybrid model of productivity.
