Uber manages AI costs amid rising usage

Uber has managed to stabilize its AI spending despite a significant increase in usage, according to the company. The company informed Axios that it had previously used up its IT budget in the first quarter of the year but has since stabilized its AI costs. This development highlights how enterprises are finding innovative ways to expand AI adoption without experiencing a surge in expenses. Uday Kiran Medisetty, a distinguished engineer at Uber, noted in a blog post that weekly agent requests at the company have increased 9.4 times since February. However, Uber's total AI spending has remained stable since April. This trend is part of a broader shift in the industry, with companies increasingly adopting open-weight models, which are known to reduce costs. This comes after Uber's Chief Technology Officer previously stated in an interview with The Information that the company had already spent its entire 2026 AI budget by April. The company's experience underscores the evolving landscape of enterprise AI usage, demonstrating how businesses are adapting to manage costs while expanding their AI capabilities.