it became clear that Uber's strategy (under Kalanick anyway) was premised on replacing drivers with AIs before the cash ran out This is kind of nitpicking, but

it became clear that Uber's strategy (under Kalanick anyway) was premised on replacing drivers with AIs before the cash ran out This is kind of nitpicking, but this has always been a backup plan at best for Uber. Look at their expenditures and it is clear that their strategy has never been "all in" on self-driving. Their main plan was and basically still is a combination of driving competitors out of the market, increasing their efficiency, raising prices, and lowering payments to drivers, before the money runs out. If self-driving cars happen, it will be a tremendous boon to Uber's bottom line, but it is not a necessity.