Every day, millions of people across Europe rely on Uber for mobility, delivery and work. What started as a more reliable way to get a ride has evolved into a global marketplace connecting hundreds of millions of users with millions of couriers and drivers. Importantly, algorithms and AI enable us to support this thriving marketplace whilst promoting safety, flexibility, and reliability in the many countries where Uber is available.
Over the past few years, we have observed a greater focus on the potential human and societal risks posed by platforms and the technology they’ve developed. In particular, the European Union (EU) has been leading the global thinking on how to ensure algorithms and AI are used fairly, transparently and without discrimination. Two key pieces of legislation proposed recently by the EU – the Platform Work Directive and the AI Act – aim to address these concerns and provide adequate protections to people who interact with automated technologies in their everyday lives.
Uber strongly supports the objectives laid out in both the Platform Work Directive and the AI Act to protect fundamental rights, to provide all users with fair and safe technology, and to help local businesses to benefit from innovation. We believe that all companies, including Uber, have a responsibility to do a better job explaining how our technology works and how it impacts the people and communities we serve.
In this blog, we aim to answer questions about how and why we use automated technology at Uber and share the specific guardrails we have in place to promote fairness, transparency, and safety.
Keeping cities moving with reliable tools
Uber’s technology connects the physical and digital worlds, driven by the mission to help move people and things at the tap of a button. Algorithms and AI are essential tools in this mission. While AI tends to be more complex, algorithms are rules, designed and defined by humans, to help make decisions or suggestions quickly and efficiently at scale.
Most of the algorithms Uber deploys serve a fairly straightforward purpose, yet they are critical for running safe, reliable and efficient marketplaces. They support us in a dynamically changing environment and allow us to process millions of near real-time interactions and transactions, which would otherwise be impossible. Most importantly, they help us identify and address real-life situations to help ensure that movement is reliable and safe for everyone, whether they are riders, restaurant partners, couriers or drivers.
Translating commitments into technology
We believe all our users should be able to understand the principles that underpin the functioning of our marketplaces. That’s why we have clear commitments that drive the use of algorithms and AI at Uber:
- The work opportunities offered to drivers and couriers are not determined by ratings or individual traits or characteristics.
- The pricing of the mobility and delivery services is not based on drivers’ or couriers’ individual traits or characteristics, backgrounds or history with Uber.
- We provide all users with clear guidance about the rules governing access to the platform and a fair review process.
- We empower users to access and control their data and we are transparent about how their data works to power their trip or delivery.
We believe connecting our values to how we use technology is the hallmark of responsible AI use. Here’s what this means in practice for our most important algorithmically-enabled processes around matching, pricing, access to our platform, and data use.
When it comes to matching, our aim is to connect users and merchants with drivers and couriers in the most efficient, safe, and reliable way possible.
- What is it: Matching, the operation of helping a rider connect with a driver on Uber, or an eater with a courier available to deliver their order from a restaurant on UberEats, is made possible in real-time through an algorithm.
- How does it work: Currently, the algorithm underpinning this operation considers multiple requests that are launched at similar times in a given location and presents those requests to available drivers or couriers in the vicinity who might be interested in accepting them. In general, we are optimising for the lowest pick-up times for the entire marketplace. Matching takes into account a variety of real-world factors (e.g. traffic conditions, geographical barriers or construction work), including how long it may take for a driver or courier to reach the pick-up location.
- Commitment: When preparing offers to drivers and couriers, the matching operation does not rely on driver or courier rating or individual traits or characteristics. Drivers and couriers can accept or reject any offer proposed to them.
When it comes to pricing, our aim is to balance supply and demand.
- What is it: Dynamic pricing, also called real-time pricing, is a highly flexible way of calculating the price for a product or service under different circumstances, like supply and demand and time of day. This is common practice among businesses and apps that offer on-demand services, and is also used in ride-hailing.
- How does it work: Although we do not always use dynamic pricing for all products and services, when we do use it, this is to help rebalance supply and demand. When the number of ride requests exceeds the number of available drivers in a specific location, prices can temporarily increase. This approach helps us to optimise for ride availability by encouraging more drivers to move to those areas of high demand while some riders wait until supply and demand come back into equilibrium and prices decrease.
- Commitment: The price of trips and deliveries is not based on drivers’ or couriers’ individual traits or characteristics, backgrounds or history with Uber.
When it comes to access to our platform, our aim is to ensure ease of access to all users, whilst keeping everyone safe on our platform.
- What is it: We strive to maintain open access to the Uber platform. However, we also want every experience with Uber to feel safe, respectful, and positive. Everyone who uses the Uber app is expected to follow three key principles: treat everyone with respect, help keep one another safe, and follow the law. Users who do not respect these principles may lose access to their account.
- How does it work: Unfortunately, sometimes we must take action on users’ accounts to preserve the safety and integrity of the platform for all users. When we do take action, this is based on verifiable information which we receive from other users, third parties or authorities (e.g. law enforcement), as well as from our own systems. In some cases, algorithms help us identify risky behaviour or signal that a user may have not respected contractual obligations or local requirements.
- For example, this technology can help detect when the same account is being used by two people simultaneously, when a user is manipulating GPS data to commit fraud, and when the driver or courier who is trying to accept a ride or delivery request is not the person who registered on the platform. Uber’s Safety, Risk & Compliance Teams are specially trained to review all of the information that is available or reported to us to identify potentially fraudulent or unsafe behaviours. These specialist teams help ensure that everyone is treated fairly and do not lose access to the Uber platform based on errors or fraudulent reports.
- Commitment: Uber provides drivers and couriers with clear guidance about what is expected of all users in order to maintain a safe and fair service for all. After receiving negative or concerning feedback, users only lose access to our platform permanently following a meaningful human review.
When it comes to using data, our aim is to protect users’ personal data, wherever they are.
- What is it and how does it work: This year, we launched our Privacy Centre which enables all users to easily request and download a copy of their data and learn about how Uber uses their data to power certain user experiences. We also make our Privacy Notice available to all users, as well as a detailed and visual overview of how we use data for different products and services. Based on the principles underlying the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other data protection legislation, we developed and implemented global, company-wide Privacy Principles, which include commitments to giving users choice and transparency when it comes to how we collect and use their data.
- Commitment: Uber is committed to being a trusted steward of our users’ personal data in every market where we operate. We empower users to access and control their data and we are transparent about how their data works to power their trip or delivery.
Doing the right thing
Doing the right thing means taking concrete steps to improve transparency, encourage dialogue, and uphold fairness in the way we use technology and run our marketplace. It also means setting up clear rules to empower earners, enable open access to our platform, and offer safe and reliable services to consumers.
Importantly, platforms bear the responsibility of providing meaningful transparency to users. For us, that means sharing more about how our platform works, including how drivers, couriers and customers are matched, how prices are set, and how to ensure users maintain access to the platform.
This blog is part of our ongoing efforts and a step in this direction.
Posted by Uber