Uber President on AI efficiency, exiting autonomy, and the threat of AI agents
20VC · rss · 2026-08-17
Uber President Andrew MacDonald joins 20VC to discuss the company's AI strategy and industry insights:
- AI Implementation: Uber assembled a "SWAT team" of its 30 best AI engineers to drive real efficiency and solve core business problems.
- Autonomy Strategy: MacDonald explains why Uber was right to divest its autonomous vehicle unit to focus on its core ride-sharing business, noting that markets like India and Brazil will delay the autonomous future.
- Future of Work: The interview explores whether AI agents will disaggregate Uber's interface and customer relationships, and if companies ignoring frontier models face existential risks.
- Leadership: Includes untold stories about the Travis Kalanick era and the competitive landscape with DoorDash.
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