Uber dumps $1 Billion into robotaxis, DoorDash's new tasks and payouts take a turn. LegalRideshare breaks it down.
Uber dumps major cash into Rivian. Bloomberg news reported:
Uber Technologies Inc. plans to invest as much as $1.25 billion in carmaker Rivian Automotive Inc. to help launch a robotaxi fleet that will be available in the US, Canada and Europe over the next five years.
Uber or its fleet partners will buy 10,000 autonomous Rivian R2 robotaxis and make them available exclusively on the Uber app starting in San Francisco and Miami in 2028, the two companies said in a joint statement on Thursday.
As part of the partnership, Uber has committed to an initial $300 million investment in Rivian, subject to regulatory approval. The funding may increase to as much as $1.25 billion through 2031 if certain undisclosed “autonomous milestones” are met, the companies said. They also have the option to negotiate the purchase of as many as 40,000 more Rivian robotaxis beginning in 2030.
DoorDash is using human tasks to train AI. Bloomberg reported:
DoorDash Inc. is paying delivery couriers in some markets to submit video clips and complete other digital tasks to help improve artificial intelligence and robotics models, following competitors that have found creative new uses for gig workers in the AI boom.
The delivery company has launched a new app called Tasks for those efforts, listing paid opportunities for activities such as recording an unscripted conversation in Spanish, or filming themselves completing various household chores like loading a dishwasher, handwashing dishes or folding clothes.
Uber is looking to throttle crash payouts. Axios reported:
It would cap lawyers' fees in winning cases, so accident victims keep at least 75% of any settlement. (Lawyers typically take about a third in personal injury cases, per legal scholars.)
It'd also limit medical cost reimbursement for accident victims.
What they're saying: While the initiative might sound good on paper, Jamie Court of the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog called it a “Trojan horse.”
Lower fees would discourage lawyers from taking complex or costly cases and leave many victims without representation, especially when most families already can't afford to pay hourly rates, he told Axios.
Court also argued that the reimbursement cap is far lower than hospitals' actual charges, potentially leaving patients covering the gap out of pocket or struggling to access care.
That's a dangerous prospect, the nonprofit claims, arguing the measure could limit the legal consequences for other companies.
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