Two longtime Uber executives, Naga Kasu and Pankaj Kamat, have been dismissed from the company. Kasu was senior director of engineering at Uber AI Solutions. Kamat was director of product.
Both roles were in the company's data-labeling division. An Uber spokesperson said, "the business is seeing strong momentum" but did not give a reason for the firings.
Accurate labeling of data is crucial for developing AI systems, making the data-annotation industry a vital part of AI progress. With major tech and automotive companies relying on such services, retaining top talent is key. The departure of senior leaders could impact client relationships and operational continuity, especially as rivals like Scale AI continue to expand.
The company also pursued high-profile customers like Salesforce. With the market projected to grow quickly, leadership stability is a crucial factor as competitor Scale AI expands.
Uber has seen several other executives leave recently. Prabhjeet Singh, who previously served as Uber's president for India and South Asia, will soon become OpenAI's managing director for India. Lando Juarez, formerly Uber's head of legal for autonomous mobility and delivery, has departed to join Bedrock Robotics Inc. Susan Anderson, who had been elevated to global head of delivery in 2023, left Uber after nearly ten years with the company.
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Uber has long invested in autonomous vehicle technology, and the data-labeling unit plays a critical role in training perception models for self-driving cars. Accurate annotation of road scenes, obstacles, and pedestrian movements is essential for safe operation. The departure of senior leaders could delay progress on these initiatives, especially as competitors like Waymo and Cruise continue to advance. Uber's own autonomous mobility division has seen leadership exits as well, with Lando Juarez moving to a robotics startup, which may further strain development efforts.
Scale AI is backed by Meta Platforms Inc., which had a stock price of $625.57 with a change of 11.06%. Uber's own stock price was $73.69, a change of 2.12%.
The data-labeling market is projected to grow from $2.5 billion in 2024 to over $10 billion by 2030, according to industry estimates. Uber's entry into this space with its AI Solutions division positions it to compete for contracts from automotive, healthcare, and tech companies. However, the loss of two senior leaders could slow its momentum, especially as rivals like Scale AI have secured significant funding and partnerships. Uber's stock, trading at $73.69, remains relatively stable, but investors will be watching for any impact on its AI initiatives.
These leadership changes come as competitor Scale AI, backed by Meta Platforms, continues to expand. Uber's stock price of $73.69 reflects modest gains, but the AI labeling market is projected to grow quickly. Investors will watch whether new leaders can maintain momentum and secure key contracts.
Uber will keep competing with Scale AI and Mercor in the fast-growing AI data-labeling market.
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