Uber cuts 10% of customer service roles as AI chatbots expand
Uber has reduced its customer service workforce by 10%, routing requests through AI chatbots first.
Uber has cut 10% of its customer service workforce, with requests routed through AI chatbots before reaching human support, according to reports published in August 2026.
The move is part of a broader shift in customer service. AI-attributed US layoffs reached between 112,000 and 205,000 by mid-to-late 2026, with customer service and support accounting for about 18,800 tracked cuts.
That trend is not universal: Gartner said only about 20% of customer service leaders had cut headcount because of AI, and predicted some employers may rehire as adoption develops.
For Australian employers, an AI business case does not by itself make a termination lawful. Before deciding redundancies, document the changed work and genuine operational need, consult affected employees, and properly assess reasonable redeployment options.
- Uber cut 10% of its customer service workforce.
- Customer requests are routed through AI chatbots first.
- Customer service and support represented about 18,800 tracked US AI-related cuts in 2026.
- Gartner said only about 20% of customer service leaders had cut headcount because of AI.
For employers: Treat AI adoption as evidence of changed operational requirements, not as an automatic redundancy decision. Map which duties genuinely disappear, consult before deciding, and assess suitable redeployment before terminating roles.
Sources: AI Adoption Drives Thousands of Customer Service Job Cuts at Microsoft, Uber and Commonwealth Bank · AI Wipes Out Customer Service Jobs at Microsoft, Uber, CBA · AI-driven layoffs reach 205,000 in 2026
General information for employers, not legal advice. Reporting summarised from the linked sources; confirm details with the primary source.