Uber Eats and Starship to Roll Out Autonomous Delivery Robots in Leeds

Uber Eats and Starship Technologies have announced a collaboration to deploy autonomous delivery robots across the UK, Europe, and the US, beginning in Leeds this December.

The partnership promises faster, AI-powered deliveries, though it also raises questions about the future of human couriers.

Starship operates the world’s largest fleet of autonomous delivery robots, with over 2,700 units completing more than nine million deliveries to date.

By 2027, the company expects its fleet to exceed 12,000 robots, capable of handling short-range deliveries in under 30 minutes. The robots function at ‘level four’ autonomy, allowing them to navigate pavements and roads without human supervision, using cameras, radar, and advanced AI systems refined over hundreds of millions of crossings.

Starship co-founder Ahti Heinla, also a former creator of Skype, described the partnership as “building the infrastructure for the next generation of urban logistics.” He highlighted that the robots operate profitably even in smaller towns and argued that automated deliveries could make food and groceries more accessible and affordable, especially in underserved areas.

Concerns Over Jobs

Despite potential efficiency gains, the rollout has sparked concerns over the impact on human employment. Critics warn that widespread automation could threaten the livelihoods of thousands of delivery drivers. Yaseen Aslam, president of the UK-based App Drivers and Couriers Union, commented: “They’re making autonomous vehicles because they want to get rid of the workers. What will happen to all these workers? Where do they go?”

While Starship maintains that the robots are intended to complement human couriers rather than replace them, the scale of the rollout—potentially handling thousands of deliveries per city—has intensified fears of job displacement.

A report by Prysm Global estimated that autonomous delivery could contribute £1.3bn to the UK economy over the next decade. However, the analysis also warned that automation could result in significant losses of low-paid delivery jobs, even as new technology-focused roles are created.

Heinla noted that Starship operates with a relatively small workforce of 200 employees, compared to traditional delivery firms that rely on large fleets of drivers.

Regulatory challenges in the UK, such as securing permission for robots to operate on pavements, have slowed expansion, though Starship has successfully navigated such issues in countries like Finland, where national legislation governs autonomous delivery vehicles.

By partnering with Uber Eats, which operates in over 10,000 cities worldwide, Starship demonstrates that fully automated delivery services are moving closer to mainstream adoption. Yet the potential social and economic consequences, particularly for existing delivery workers, remain a pressing concern.