Uber pilots paid AI labeling tasks for drivers

Uber has piloted a “digital tasks” program, tested in India and rolling out to some U.S. drivers, that pays small per-task fees for quick microjobs—recording voice clips, uploading photos or documents, and tagging data—used to train AI through its Uber AI Solutions unit. Uber says tasks only appear when drivers are offline and the pay varies by complexity; drivers report mixed reactions, citing extra income but scarce task availability and concerns the low-paid labeling is exploitative. The rollout follows Uber reporting annual operating profits and announcing a $20 billion share buyback, as the company positions itself for an autonomous-vehicle future after earlier heavy investment and the sale of its self-driving unit to Aurora. Uber says the effort is meant to supplement driver earnings and is not directly tied to its current autonomous-vehicle partnerships.