Ride-hailing giant Uber is providing approximately 30,000 corporate office employees with access to OpenAI’s enterprise tool, a rollout that arrives just weeks after the company implemented substantial workforce reductions. The deployment of ChatGPT Work was announced jointly by the two companies on Thursday, following an initial test phase involving a pilot group of 1,000 Uber employees.
The enterprise software is designed to integrate with everyday productivity applications utilized across Uber’s offices, including Slack and Gmail. According to a joint statement, the tool will enable personnel to research information, prepare meeting briefs, generate presentations, analyze data, and execute workflows across multiple applications.
Chief Technology Officer Praveen Neppalli Naga emphasized the strategic rationale behind the implementation amid shifting workplace technology. As artificial intelligence alters traditional working methods, the company aims to equip all personnel with instruments designed to foster innovation, resolve complex problems, and contribute to future corporate development.
The widespread rollout follows closely on the heels of major organizational restructuring at Uber. The company eliminated approximately 10 percent of its corporate workforce last month, resulting in the layoffs of roughly 3,300 employees. Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi stated at the time that the job cuts were enacted to flatten management hierarchies and decrease the proliferation of small teams. Uber did not explicitly cite artificial intelligence in its announcement regarding those specific reductions.
However, the connection between automated tools and workforce changes has drawn internal and external scrutiny. Several recently laid-off workers reported to media outlets that artificial intelligence tools were already handling substantial components of their daily responsibilities, ranging from responding to internal inquiries on Slack to drafting automated replies for riders and drivers. Additionally, Uber previously attributed staff reductions in July to artificial intelligence when targeting customer service operations.
