Uber files for patent to detect drunk passengers using AI

Cab-hailing giant Uber has applied for a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to add a feature to its application to detect drunk passengers, so that the drivers could assist them better.

The system uses artificial intelligence (AI) to assess variety of factors such as walking speed, typos, precision of clicking on links and/or buttons and the amount of time taken to request a ride, a report by CNN suggests.

The patent claims that Uber could tailor its services to drunk people accordingly. Uber could match drunk passengers with more experienced or trained drivers.

While the patent can help them identify drunk riders and service them appropriately, it also gives the ‘bad drivers’ a chance to misuse the system.

In the recent years, Uber has faced criticism due to sexual assaults by its drivers.

An investigation by CNN found that at least 103 Uber drivers in the United States alone have been accused of sexually assaulting or abusing their passengers in the last four years.

In many of these cases, the passengers were inebriated or drinking before taking the cab.