Uber is in the hotel business now, thanks in part to AI

Uber customers in the United States can now book hotels directly through the app, one of several new features announced Wednesday that pushes far beyond the company’s original ride-hailing purpose and even deeper into its users’ lives.

Uber announced the new hotel booking feature on Wednesday during its product-heavy annual Go-Get event in New York City. At launch, Uber customers will have access to more than 700,000 hotels worldwide through a partnership with Expedia Group, the travel company that Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi led for 12 years.