Uber has quietly pushed policy changes in at least two undisclosed jurisdictions that would require autonomous vehicle operators to work through existing ride-hailing platforms rather than deploying their own competing services, according to a Wired investigation. The ride-hailing giant frames the effort as fighting monopolies and consumer protection, arguing that allowing autonomous vehicle developers to operate closed networks would create fragmented services and regional monopolies. If successful, Uber could extract a cut from every autonomous ride its competitors provide without investing in expensive sensor arrays, computing systems, and AI development. This represents a shift from Uber's earlier strategy, which included acquiring Otto in 2016 for $680 million and building its Advanced Technologies Group, before a fatal crash in Tempe, Arizona in 2018 and selling the division to Aurora in 2020.