[xyzzy_plugh]

Why would anyone who is working on their own products partner with Uber (or Lyft etc.)? It's pretty clear that a genuine self-driving product would demolish the human driving equivalent. Forget network effect, it's going to be way cheaper.

[ghaff]

Because, if they're still in business long-term, 1.) they're potentially a very big customer and 2.) They can be a great source of data and broader insights about exactly how people use/want to use taxis in different locations. What are the patterns? Pickup and dropoff points. Etc.