Riders driving at the limit of AI: geographies of two-wheeled food delivery and traffic safety in Seoul, South Korea

Food delivery has become a leading cause of industrial accidents in Korea, with platforms’ AI features acting as “the boss” to riders. Our analysis of 175 articles from the Korean press (2014–2022) examines how AI intersects with the commercial use of motorcycles and traffic safety. With particular attention to riders’ interview quotes and opinion pieces, we show how AI constrains riders’ mobile experiences and subjectivities, by taking over their autonomy to choose their task and drive responsibly. This creates an algorithmic loop where data on “fast and successful” deliveries is generated by time-pressured rides, often involving unsafe riding and traffic violations. Our findings contribute to platform urbanism literature, by highlighting the mobile and embodied implications of profit-driven mobilities. We further broaden the AI urbanism debate by showing how traffic safety and public space are reconfigured by the AI-driven speed and volume of food delivery.