Uber and OpenAI announced on October 22, 2026 that Uber is rolling out ChatGPT Work to more than 30,000 employees across its global workforce, according to OpenAI and TechCrunch. ChatGPT Work is an enterprise-focused AI agent, introduced in July, designed to take on multi-step tasks within ChatGPT Enterprise. It connects with tools Uber uses daily, including Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar and Slack, and gives access to OpenAI models, with GPT-6.1 Sol set as the default. The rollout expands an earlier pilot of 1,000 employees. Sumanth Sukumar, Uber's VP of engineering, told TechCrunch that 80% of early adopters were non-engineers, using the tool to analyze operations data, localize training materials and build dashboards. Sukumar said Uber has not settled on exactly how employees will use the tool: 'Our approach is to make powerful AI tools available across Uber while giving teams room to experiment.' The company will track usage and evaluate outcomes to guide further deployment. Uber did not disclose how much it is spending. Uber's developers will continue using Codex for software development. OpenAI and Uber said they plan to share further insights on adoption, use cases and measurable outcomes as the rollout progresses.
- More than 30,000 Uber employees now have access to ChatGPT Work, up from a 1,000-person pilot
- 80% of early pilot adopters were non-engineers, per Uber VP Sumanth Sukumar
- ChatGPT Work integrates with Google Drive, Gmail, Calendar and Slack; GPT-6.1 Sol is the default model
- Uber did not disclose spending and says it has not finalized how employees will use the tool
What it means for you
A large company handed an AI agent to every employee and openly admitted it hasn't figured out how they'll use it — it's running an experiment and tracking what works. That's the honest version of most AI rollouts right now. For you, the useful detail isn't the tool; it's that Uber piloted with 1,000 people first, paired experts with real teams, and committed to measuring outcomes before scaling. The headline is vendor positioning; the method underneath is worth copying.
Try this
Pick one workflow your team does weekly that already touches the tools you have (email, shared drives, your chat app). Map the actual steps and handoffs on paper before considering any AI on top of it — you'll often find the friction is a messy process, not a missing tool.
Who should care
Owners and operations leads weighing a company-wide AI rollout, and anyone being pressured to 'do what Uber did' at a much smaller scale.
Skip this if
You're a small team without ChatGPT Enterprise and no active plan to deploy an AI agent org-wide — this is a large-enterprise story with no action required.
Sources: OpenAI, TechCrunch AI — read the original