Uber Restructures Around Autonomous Technology Expansion
Uber is cutting about 3,300 jobs, or 10% of its workforce, as it reshapes the company around faster product development and larger technology bets. The restructuring comes while the business is growing, suggesting the priority is organisational speed rather than emergency cost reduction.
Chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said years of expansion had created additional management layers, fragmented ownership and smaller teams that slowed decision-making. Uber plans to reduce management positions, simplify reporting structures and concentrate resources around areas where it sees the strongest long-term opportunity.
Autonomous mobility sits at the centre of that strategy. Uber wants to become the largest distribution platform for autonomous vehicles rather than develop one dominant self-driving system itself. Its Autonomous Solutions business offers partners access to demand, fleet operations, customer support and deployment infrastructure, allowing vehicle developers to focus more heavily on autonomous driving technology. Uber has already introduced autonomous rides in several US markets and recently expanded commercial deployment into Europe.
The company is also embedding artificial intelligence deeper into its internal technology operations. Uber says AI agents now handle parts of software development, code review, customer support and incident management, showing how automation is changing both its products and its engineering organisation.
Strong financial performance gives Uber room to make these changes from a position of relative strength. Second-quarter gross bookings rose 22% on a constant-currency basis, while operating income reached $1.9 billion.
The wider technology implication is that Uber is becoming a platform for autonomous transport and AI-driven operations. A leaner structure could accelerate that transition, but success will depend on whether organisational savings translate into faster deployment, reliable autonomous services and stronger technology economics.