Amazon’s use of warehouse robots has surged to more than one million, putting them on par with the number of human workers and signalling a pivotal shift in the ecommerce giant’s operations towards AI-driven automation.
The milestone, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, marks a turning point in Amazon’s warehouse operations, where automation now supports roughly three-quarters of all deliveries. The company has long emphasised that its robots work “alongside humans”, helping to reduce physical strain by taking on repetitive tasks such as lifting and sorting heavy packages.
Amazon says the expansion of robotics will not eliminate jobs but instead shift demand towards more technical roles. The company plans to increase hiring for technicians and maintenance staff to service its growing fleet of robots.
“Robots in our fulfilment centres are designed to assist, not replace,” said an Amazon spokesperson. “They make the workplace safer and more efficient, enabling our employees to focus on more engaging and less physically demanding tasks.”
However, Amazon’s march towards automation is not limited to its warehouses. Chief executive Andy Jassy signalled in June that the company’s corporate workforce is also set to shrink due to AI, saying: “We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs … in the next few years, we expect that this will reduce our total corporate workforce as we get efficiency gains from using AI extensively across the company.”
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