Uber is laying off 10% of its customer service staff, citing a strategic shift to "embrace artificial intelligence." The company also requires remote employees in the division to relocate and return to the office three days a week. An internal memo states AI is a "massive opportunity" to improve quality and output. This follows a slowdown in hiring as Uber invests more heavily in AI technology, joining other firms like IBM and Snap in citing AI for job cuts.
Uber customer service layoffs
- ▪Uber is laying off 10% of its community operations team, which handles customer service
- ▪The company announced the job cuts to the affected team on Wednesday, July 22, 2026
AI adoption rationale
- ▪Megha Yethadka, Uber's VP of global community operations, stated that AI offers a "massive opportunity" to accelerate output and improve quality
- ▪Uber cited its effort to "embrace artificial intelligence" as a primary reason for the layoffs
- ▪In a memo, Yethadka wrote that Uber "cannot scale frontier technology on top of fragmented processes."
Return-to-office mandate
- ▪Remote employees on the community operations team were asked to relocate to a hub office
- ▪Relocated employees will be required to work in the office three days a week
- ▪An Uber spokesperson said the changes aim to simplify operations and strengthen in-person collaboration
Broader company restructuring
- ▪Other companies that have cut jobs in 2026 citing AI include Block, IBM, and Snap
- ▪The June 2026 layoffs of HR staff affected less than 1% of Uber's 34,000-person global workforce and were not connected to AI
- ▪In June 2026, Uber laid off a quarter of its human resources and recruitment staff
- ▪Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has said the company is slowing down hiring as it invests more in AI
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