Amazon has made history by introducing its 1 millionth robot into its operations, cementing its position as the world's largest manufacturer and operator of mobile robotics.
The robots will be fully operated by the company's latest generative artificial intelligence (AI) model called DeepFleet, which is capable of coordinating the movements of robots in fulfillment centers. It is expected to reduce delivery times by 10% and save operating costs.
However, despite these technological achievements, concerns about job losses are growing, especially after Amazon CEO Andy Jassy admitted that AI will replace some existing roles in the organization.
So far, Amazon has laid off more than 27,000 employees throughout 2022 and 2023, with additional cuts also reported in several of the company's business units.
A Pew Research report published in March also listed factory workers as among the groups most affected by the emergence of AI, while the World Economic Forum revealed that almost 48% of employers in the United States plan to reduce their workforce due to the development of automation.
However, Amazon came out to calm speculation by announcing that its newest fulfillment center in Shreveport, Louisiana showed a 30% increase in technical labor requirements involving maintenance, engineering and reliability.
However, the main question remains unanswered: is this technological explosion really opening up new opportunities, or simply closing the door to the livelihood of thousands of human workers?
