Transportation firm Uber has seemingly come up with the idea of using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect whether passengers are drunk, according to a patent application.

The patent application, which was first uncovered by CNN, refers to a computer model that can predict user states based on data from their current in-app requests, as well as their previous behaviours.

Using this information, Uber may change the service offered to the user. For instance, drivers may be alerted to the drunken state of the passenger and make their decision to accept rides based on this knowledge. Furthermore, passengers may not be given the option of shared rides, based on their state.

Of course, more often than not, riders in an intoxicated state will be requesting journeys at times in the early hours of the morning on weekends. And you’d imagine that any driver agreeing to pick up passengers at these times is already well-aware of what to expect.

For now, however, just an idea that Uber has decided it wants to patent and there is no indication that we will see it popping up in the app any time soon.