AI shopping agents barely used, Uber and DoorDash reveal low order numbers

AI agents were expected to change online shopping in a big way. People thought they could buy flights, groceries, or track prices for them. But new data shows very few are actually using them.

According to Business Insider, Uber's CFO said in an earnings call that Uber handled 320 million rides and deliveries in the last week of October. Yet orders through AI agents like Meta's Muse and Instinct were only about 500 on Uber Eats, and just 4 rides. DoorDash's CEO Tony Xu also said AI agent orders added up to only a few hundred.

Wrong orders and worries about AI misusing credit card info keep many shoppers away. Still, Uber and DoorDash keep building AI features for their apps. DoorDash is testing ordering by text without opening the app.