Weekly Roundup: Uber Launches AI Training Side Gig for Drivers

Uber launches AI training side gigs for drivers. Uber extends trip windows, redesigns the Heatmap, and ends tip baiting. Atlanta driver shares how her earnings plummeted 74%. Lyft continues international push with a Toronto tech hub. Lyft acquires TBR Global for $110 million.

We break it all down for you.

Uber Launches AI Training Side Gig for Drivers

SOURCE – Bloomberg (Paywall free), CNBC

Uber announced a new pilot program called “Digital Tasks” that allows U.S. drivers and couriers to earn money during downtime by completing AI training microtasks through the driver app. These tasks include uploading photos, recording audio in various languages, and submitting documents that help train AI models for Uber’s AI Solutions Group, with some tasks paying up to $1.

• Tasks can only be completed when drivers are not actively driving or waiting for rides, and workers must opt-in to receive task invitations through the Opportunity Center in their app

• Payment for completed tasks is processed within 24 hours, and the initiative is part of CEO Dara Khosrowshahi’s vision to make Uber “the best platform for flexible work”

• The program, already operational in India, positions Uber’s gig worker network to compete with established AI training platforms like Scale AI and Amazon’s Mechanical Turk.

Uber Rolls Out Driver Experience Improvements

SOURCE – The Rideshare Guy, CNBC

Uber unveiled this year’s “Only On Uber” driver-focused updates designed to improve earnings, safety, and transparency for drivers nationwide. Key improvements include extending ride request windows by up to a third longer to give drivers more time to evaluate trips, a redesigned Rides Heatmap showing areas with shortest wait times and average wait duration, and expanded Women Rider Preference to six new cities.

• The company also introduced a Delayed Ride Guarantee that automatically compensates drivers whenever a trip takes more than five minutes longer than estimated.

• For delivery couriers, Uber is ending “tip baiting” by guaranteeing the tip amount shown at trip request will be paid regardless of post-delivery changes, and expanding rating protections so cancellations beyond their control won’t impact their records.

• Enhanced deactivation protections will now limit access by specific earnings opportunity type rather than full platform removal. For example, alcohol delivery issues won’t prevent drivers from accepting food or rideshare trips, though serious safety violations may still result in full deactivation

Uber Black Driver Shares Decade-Long Experience as Pay Declines

SOURCE – Business Insider

A 60-year-old Atlanta driver recounts how her Uber and Lyft earnings have dramatically declined in 2025 after a decade of comfortable income from rideshare driving. The driver, who previously operated a fleet of three black cars and consistently earned $300 per day, saw her September 2025 Lyft earnings plummet to $1,166 compared to $4,549 in September 2024 — a 74% drop.

• She attributes the decline to reduced tourism, lower business travel with half-empty conferences, and increased competition from Waymo autonomous vehicles in Atlanta that appear to offer cheaper fares.

• The driver reports needing two days to earn what previously took one day, while driving significantly more miles and incurring higher expenses.

• She’s been forced to accept lower-tier rides, like Uber Comfort, instead of only Uber Black, noting that some riders have caught on and order cheaper Comfort rides knowing they might get a Black car driver.

Lyft to Open Toronto Tech Hub, Deepening Push Beyond U.S. Market

SOURCE – Reuters

Lyft plans to open a major new technology hub in downtown Toronto’s financial district in the second half of 2026, making it the company’s second-largest tech center after San Francisco. The office will eventually house several hundred employees across engineering, product development, operations, and marketing, as Lyft expands its Canadian presence.

• The announcement comes as Lyft reported rides in Canada grew more than 20% year-over-year in the first half of 2025.

• Lyft has operated rideshare services in Toronto since 2017 and maintains existing teams in Longueuil and Montréal, while also operating Bikeshare Toronto and multiple bikeshare systems across Québec.

• The expansion follows Lyft’s earlier 2025 acquisition of FreeNow from BMW and Mercedes for approximately $200 million, establishing a European presence with a Barcelona tech hub employing several hundred workers.

Lyft Goes Premium with Acquisition of TBR Global Chauffeuring

SOURCE – Business Travel News Europe

Lyft acquired TBR Global Chauffeuring for approximately $110 million (£83 million) in cash plus additional contingent costs to enter the luxury transportation market. TBR, recognized globally for luxury chauffeuring excellence, operates across six continents, 120 countries, and over 3,000 cities, serving Fortune 500 companies, investment banks, and major global events.

• Lyft plans to combine its technology platform with TBR’s “white glove” service excellence through a network of independent fleet partners with professional chauffeurs specializing in corporate, executive, and event transportation

• The company emphasized that “what makes TBR special will not change” and assured that the acquisition will not affect Lyft’s third-quarter financial results.

Lyft Pulls Plug on Customer Tip Percentages

SOURCE – YouTube Shorts

Lyft just pulled the plug on one of its most controversial experiments yet—a feature that revealed passengers’ tipping habits to drivers before they accepted rides.

The test showed drivers a small banner displaying what percentage of the time a passenger tips, right alongside their punctuality rating. The idea? Help drivers prioritize the most valuable customers. But passengers weren’t having it.

Learn more by watching the YouTube Short!

QUICK HITS

• DoorDash and Waymo launched an autonomous delivery service in Metro Phoenix – DoorDash

• Uber acquired Belgian data-labeling startup Segments.ai on October 2nd to strengthen its Uber AI Solutions division and expand its lidar and multi-sensor annotation capabilities. – Bloomberg

• Uber was caught on social media allegedly charging 65% more for riders using American Express cards, with a viral video showing an identical ride costing $33 with Amex but dropping to $20 when the payment method was switched to Visa. – X.com

• Want to learn more about the robotaxi industry? Subscribe to The Driverless Digest, our new newsletter and podcast dedicated to the future of autonomous vehicles.

Must Listen Or Watch RSG Content

Here are this week’s featured podcast episode and YouTube videos:

• RSG266: Tower Mobility: The Uber Partner Paying Drivers $25/Hour + Benefits

• From Uber to Bitcoin: The Driver Who Might Get Rich Behind the Wheel

• Lyft’s Priority Mode Is A Trap for Most Drivers

• Fake Uber Drivers Are Hustling at JFK Airport

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