Uber is transforming its app into a gateway to high-paying AI jobs, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi announced. The company plans to introduce new artificial intelligence training opportunities for app users, starting with a U.S. pilot called Digital Tasks. Some roles may require advanced education, like PhDs, but offer higher pay than traditional driver trips.

The move comes as Uber invests in self-driving technology, raising job-security concerns among professional drivers. Unions warned regulators that rapid adoption of robotaxis could threaten jobs, prompting closer scrutiny. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation issued a new automated-vehicle framework, and states updated laws on robotaxi permitting, insurance, and testing standards.

Khosrowshahi believes Digital Tasks can provide alternative income streams for displaced drivers within Uber’s platform. The program is optional and available when drivers aren’t on active trips. Payments are added to participants’ in-app earnings within 24 hours of task completion. Uber has already signed on customers for AI training, which could become a profitable line of business for the company, analysts say.

Uber’s move aligns it with platforms like Scale AI and Amazon Mechanical Turk, which pay users to label data for AI models. Market research firm Research Nester predicts the data-annotation tools market could reach $8.26 billion by 2026. Khosrowshahi sees Digital Tasks as a promising part of Uber’s evolution, similar to how ride-hailing and food delivery grew.

Read more at Yahoo Finance.: Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi Says The App Will Offer High-Paying AI Gigs To Drivers And PhDs, Calling It ‘A Platform For Work’