Uber has launched a pilot program called "Digital Tasks" for drivers and delivery partners in some parts of the US, allowing them to earn money by completing small tasks within the app.
These tasks, featured in the Uber app's "Opportunity Center," are simple tasks that can be completed in minutes, such as recording a language, submitting a document, or uploading a photo of your daily life. For example, recording a conversation in your own language or posting a menu in Spanish will earn you a certain amount of money based on the task's difficulty and time. Rewards for completed tasks will be reflected in your account within 24 hours.
This project is part of Uber's strategy to expand its vast driver network into the AI data labeling market. The company already provides data annotation, localization, and testing services to corporate clients through its "Uber AI Solutions" division, and last October, it acquired the Belgian startup SegmentsAI to strengthen its capabilities in this area.
Uber aims to evolve into a "flexible employment platform" through this initiative. At the "Only on Uber 2025" event in Washington, D.C., CEO Dara Khosrowshahi announced, "We will provide drivers with a variety of opportunities to earn money even when they're not on the road." He emphasized that this change isn't about replacing drivers with self-driving cars, but rather an experiment to expand the app's internal revenue structure.
As the demand for "customized data" explodes due to the AI boom, the importance of outsourced data platforms like Scale.AI and Amazon Mechanical Turk is growing. Uber aims to incorporate this structure into its ecosystem and build an "app-based data labeling network."
