Topics
Latest
AI
Amazon
Image Credits:Anthropic
Apps
Biotech & Health
Climate
Image Credits:Anthropic
Cloud Computing
DoC
Crypto
Enterprise
EVs
Fintech
Fundraising
convenience
Gaming
Government & Policy
Hardware
Layoffs
Media & Entertainment
Meta
Microsoft
privateness
Robotics
Security
Social
Space
inauguration
TikTok
Transportation
Venture
More from TechCrunch
event
Startup Battlefield
StrictlyVC
Podcasts
TV
Partner Content
TechCrunch Brand Studio
Crunchboard
Contact Us
Ride - hail behemoth Lyft has partnered with AI startup Anthropic to build an AI supporter that handles initial intake for customer service inquiries for both passenger and driver .
It ’s the first phase of a broader collaboration between the two companies to use Anthropic ’s services to explore and test novel Lyft mathematical product and build software program internally .
The tie - up come four month after Uber announced a similarpartnership with OpenAIto launch an AI - powered assistant that can answer number one wood query about electron volt . More recently , Uber announceda collaboration withOpenAI ’s new AI agent call Operatorto help customers automatize ordinate solid food or programing ride .
Lyft quietly incorporated Claude , Anthropic ’s family of prominent terminology models , into its customer care AI assistant in late 2024 via Amazon Bedrock , according to Anthropic . It provides answer to common support issues and redirects customers to a human medical specialist for more complicated tasks .
This is n’t Lyft ’s first clock time with an AI chatbot ; the company first introduced one to helptriage client complaintsin 2018 . But as anyone who has ever had to rely on a chatbot can tell you , honest-to-god - school chatbots are modified and infuriatingly bot - like . Claude is known for its human - like responses , which could make all the difference to a client try a declaration to a problem .
Or , it could be just another chatbot that allows companies to spend less money on client servicing by forsaking the human helper who could in reality solve the problem much quicker . Despite the hope of generative AI , most people still do n’t want to blab out to a bot when they have a problem to work out . A recentGartner surveyfound that 64 % of customer would rather fellowship do n’t use AI for customer service . Anotherstudyfound that when customers see they ’re talk to an AI chatbot , it take down emotional faith .
Still , Lyft say its Claude - powered assistant is working , and that it has reduce the average client service resolution time by 87 % and resolves thousands of customer requests every day . A Lyft spokesperson enunciate that an issue is note as settle when a customer answers yes to the chatbot ’s question of “ Did we resolve your issue ? ”
Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Lyft ’s nonexclusive partnership with Anthropic goes beyond chatbots . As part of the slew , Anthropic will provide Lyft ’s applied scientist with preparation and education to instruct them how to comprise the AI company ’s tools into their workflows .
Lyft uses AIto power its intact platform — everything from getting accurate ETAs and optimizing route to choosing the right destination and coordinate rider pickup . Anthropic ’s tools could help amend Lyft ’s armed service so it can good vie with its main competitor , Uber .
“ Software engineering science has undergo a seismic displacement with the introduction of GenAI engineering science . go are the sidereal day when human were preponderantly writing code , ” Jason Vogrinec , executive vice chairperson of political program at Lyft , say in a statement . “ With the promise of LLMs , especially lead models for coding like Claude , and agentic AI , we ’re working to revolutionize our engineering arrangement to more effectively build game changing products for our customers . ”
Anthropic also runs an “ exclusive early access code platform ” where certain customer can search and screen Modern products . Neither Lyft nor Anthropic would divvy up what such products might be , but an Anthropic spokesperson said Lyft ’s feedback would help ensure that the company ’s models and capabilities are “ helpful for death user . ”
Anthropic has raised $ 13.75 billion to day of the month , per PitchBook data point , including most recently$1 billion from Google . The company is in the process of raising another$2 billion at a $ 60 billion evaluation .
This article has been updated with more information from Lyft about customer care resolutions .
