Inside Uber’s New “Digital Tasks” Turning Idle Time Into AI Fuel

Imagine you’re waiting for your next ride-request. Instead of idly scrolling, your app flashes:

“Would you like to complete a 2-minute task and earn $0.80?”

That’s precisely what Uber’s new ‘Digital Tasks’ pilot is doing.

By turning driver downtime into AI-training tasks, Uber is quietly expanding from mobility into machine learning services. What might look like a driver-side perk actually signals a deeper product and business model shift.

Inside The Build lens: Uber is reimagining idle time as a new monetizable layer, blending gig work with micro-data labeling.

When Uber drivers aren’t on the road, they might soon be training the very AI systems that could one day drive themselves.

As first reported by Axios, In October 2025, Uber quietly announced a new earning category called “Digital Tasks”, allowing select drivers and couriers in the US to complete micro-jobs like recording voice clips, uploading everyday images, or submitting documents directly inside the Uber Driver app.

A new job category called “digital tasks” will appear in the Uber driver app for some US workers later this fall.Source: Uber

Each task takes just a few minutes and pays a fixed amount, typically between $0.50 and $1 per task, credited to the driver’s balance within 24 hours. The work is optional and appears in a new Opportunity Center tab when drivers opt in.

Uber Opportunity Center offers quick digital tasks that pay between $0.50 and $1.60 each. Tasks include AI training, image tagging, voice command review, map verification, and route optimization feedback.