New Uber app feature could flag drivers to drunk riders
Uber has submitted a patent for an application that could detect drunken riders, according to news reports.
Using artificial intelligence, the system could learn how a potential passenger uses the ride-sharing app to determine unusual behavior, according to CNN.
The new feature would operate using an algorithm that could measure certain things about a potential Uber user, including walking speed, data input speed and accuracy, and how a device is being held, ABC News reported.
That information would enable the new feature to determine if the potential rider is intoxicated and notify drivers.
Uber could then decide to send a more experienced driver to the pickup or reject the rider outright.
It’s too soon to tell exactly how Uber might use the feature.
"We are always exploring ways that our technology can help improve the Uber experience for riders and drivers," an Uber spokesperson told ABC News. "We file patent applications on many ideas, but not all of them actually become products or features."
