Uber may use artificial intelligence to detect if a customer is drunk

Uber is now going to use artificial intelligence to detect whether a passenger is too drunk to ride a cab or not. The company has now applied for a patent for a system which will be able to "predict a users state,"reports said.

Uber has been curious about its drunk users, and are applying for a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a system that would use machine learning to determine how intoxicated a passenger might be.

While the patent limits itself to a dry discussion of ‘user state,’ it seems that what Uber is really interested in is detecting the difference between users of sound mind and users who are under the influence.

The system identifies how you would typically use the Uber app so that it can determine unusual behaviour.

The system relies on an algorithm to weigh a variety of factors, including typos, how precisely a user clicks on links and buttons, walking speed, and how long it takes to request a ride. The time of day, and where a ride is requested may also be considered, reports say. So say, for example, you are booking a ride on a Saturday night at 1 amand it takes you over 10-15 minutes, Uber will be able to detect the unusual behaviour.

If the customer seems to appear intoxicated, the ridesharing app could deny rides to them or may match them with other drivers who have the right training to deal with such a situation.

Uber may even monitor drivers who pick up inebriated passengers as instances of sexual assault where passengers were found to be drunk are on the rise globally.

The success rate of such a technology seems unclear as of now.