On Thursday, the School of Professional Studies hosted a conversation with Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi ’91 P’27 as part of the school’s year-long 10th anniversary celebration. President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 moderated the talk.
Reflecting on his time as a student at Brown, Khosrowshahi described the Open Curriculum as “gold,” as it allowed him to bridge a liberal arts education with his engineering skills. The Open Curriculum also taught him to “communicate in a compelling way, which is an absolute necessity when you’re in a leadership position,” he said.
Before joining Uber, Khosrowshahi worked in investment banking and served as the CEO of travel conglomerate Expedia Group from 2005 to 2017. In September 2017, he became CEO of Uber.
Uber’s aim is “democratizing transportation, and making transportation available for anyone and everyone,” Khosrowshahi said during the talk.
According to the CEO, approximately 8 million drivers are currently registered on Uber’s platform, and about 170 million people use the app every month to order food and transportation.
During his talk, Khosrowshahi touched on his company’s experience with artificial intelligence, noting that AI is integrated into the Uber app’s ride matching, routing and pricing features, among others. Because Uber coordinates 30 million rides per day, it is integral to use complex AI algorithms to maximize efficiency, he explained.
Khosrowshahi believes that companies and students should learn to take advantage of AI — as long as they don’t become dependent on it.
“AI is not going to replace you,” he said. “The thing that’s going to replace you is a human who knows how to use AI.”
Uber is currently considering integrating self-driving vehicles into the app, according to Khosrowshahi. He argued that this move would not only make travel safer, but also reduce transportation costs and potentially eliminate the need for personal car ownership.
Uber has not been without its share of challenges, though. For example, Khosrowshahi said he had to lay off 25% of the employee base during the COVID-19 pandemic,
But it was also during the pandemic that the company’s newer “little business” — Uber Eats — boomed.
“It became a bridge for our drivers who wanted to keep earning, who did not have a passenger in the backseat,” Khosrowshahi said.
“I've gotten lucky because I’ve been very, very open to anything and everything,” Khosrowshahi added. “Curiosity will open you up to the world and open you up to opportunity.” He advised students not to “over-plan” their career and to remain curious about meeting new people.
Attendee Anna Wong ’28 particularly appreciated Khosrowshahi’s discussion of his personal challenges and subsequent growth. “Life is difficult, but over time, you realize that those are the challenges that are going to really help you as a person,” Wong said.
