Uber drivers file landmark class action lawsuit over AI algorithm

A quarter-million Uber drivers just told the algorithm it works for them, not the other way around. Worker Info Exchange International (WIE) filed a collective legal action at the Amsterdam District Court on September 2, representing roughly 240,000 drivers across the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, and Romania. The core claim: Uber’s AI-powered “Upfront Pricing” system violates the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation by using automated decision-making and profiling without drivers’ consent. The drivers say the algorithm uses their personal data to train pricing models that systematically push down what they earn, all while keeping the math completely opaque. What the algorithm actually does Uber shifted from a fixed pricing model to dynamic pay systems starting around 2020. Before the switch, drivers typically paid a flat commission rate of approximately 25%. Under the new system, that commission has reportedly ballooned past 50% on some trips. Uber’s algorithm evaluates a driver’s acceptance and rejection history, behavioral profile, and other personal data points to generate individualized trip offers. Two drivers picking up similar rides from the same...