Uber fares in the US rose 83% from 2018-2022 due to AI-driven pricing and post-pandemic factors.

Uber shifted from predictable taxi-like pricing to AI-driven algorithms that set fares based on real-time factors. This change led to an 83% rise in average US Uber fares from 2018 to 2022, far outpacing inflation. Critics argue Uber uses AI to maximize consumer charges while minimizing driver pay, though Uber denies using personalized data and attributes price hikes to higher costs and driver shortages after the pandemic. The pricing model results in significant fare variability for the same ride at the same time.