Uber President Says AI Spending 'Harder to Justify' After Exhausting Annual AI Budget in Four Months

The Verge·high signal

After reportedly exhausting its annual AI budget just four months into 2026, Uber is questioning whether it's seeing meaningful returns on AI investments. In an interview with Rapid Response, Uber's president said AI spending is getting 'harder to justify.' This signals a potential inflection point where major enterprises start pushing back on AI infrastructure costs despite industry pressure to invest.