Amazon Introduces 1 Million Robots, Gradually Replacing Human Workers

0
10K

As Amazon warehouse employees have unionized and fought for better wages and working conditions, they’ve also increasingly watched their coworkers on the line become robots. According to a recent report from the Wall Street Journal, the e-commerce giant has officially deployed more than one million robots in warehouse facilities and fulfillment centers. By contrast, the company currently employs more than 1.56 million humans, the majority of whom work in the same facilities.

Thus far, Amazon’s robots have been more a part of the workflow rather than full-blown people replacers—though a report last month indicated the company is starting to tool around with humanoid bots for things like deliveries. But the company is certainly cutting back on human labor all while it cranks up its “productivity.” Per WSJ, Amazon is down to 670 people per facility, the lowest figure it’s been in nearly two decades. Meanwhile, about 75% of deliveries are now reportedly touched at some point by bots, and the number of packages shipped per employee in a facility has increased from 175 in 2015 to 3,870.

You’d think, in theory, that the embrace of robotics would make life better for employees, who should see the burden placed on them lessened as automation steps in to help with the heavy lifting. That has not exactly manifested in any of the data avaialble. A study conducted by the University of Illinois Chicago’s Center for Urban Economic Development found that 41% of Amazon warehouse workers have suffered an injury on the job and nearly seven in 10 have taken unpaid time off to recover. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has also found that Amazon facilities regularly fail to keep workers safe and expose them to high-risk conditions.

Rather than relieving warehouse workers of their stress, it seems the long-term plan is instead to simply relieve them of duty. Last month, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy sent a letter to employees talking up the integration of AI and automation throughout the company’s workforce and said the company will ultimately “need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today.” Instead of improving the conditions and quality of work, it seems Amazon will simply remove people from them entirely—as well as from their payroll.

In addition to the humanoid bots that the company is playing with, WSJ reported that Amazon is testing a number of different bots in its innovation labs, including integrating AI into the machines so they can do things like respond to voice commands. Who will still have a voice for them to listen to? To be determined.

Like
Love
Haha
3
Zoeken
Categorieën
Read More
News
'Các bạn xúc phạm nặng nề'
Sau hơn 5 tháng kể từ khi Quý Bình qua đời, những ồn...
By Kuroitsunegf 2025-08-08 02:19:10 0 8K
News
Bắt đầu từ tháng 8, hãng hàng không lớn nhất Việt Nam có thay đổi lớn ảnh hưởng đến hàng triệu hành khách
Theo thông tin từ Cục Hàng không Việt Nam, Vietnam...
By moonkissedheart 2025-08-05 09:10:46 0 8K
Sports
Tránh cắt tóc một cách tuỳ tiện. Nếu bạn muốn trông xinh đẹp, hãy chọn kiểu tóc ngắn nhiều lớp năng động, vừa thời trang vừa có chiều sâu.
Trong số nhiều kiểu tóc để lựa chọn, tóc ngắn được các...
By Minefreakster 2025-06-30 03:46:24 0 18K
CỘNG ĐỒNG
Cô nàng xinh đẹp hạng vàng đang tìm kiếm người đồng hành, các game thủ xôn xao bàn tán.
Trên các diễn đàn game thủ, câu chuyện về việc tìm người "gánh" là đề tài không...
By greengirl42069 2025-06-21 08:41:09 0 10K
Food
Homemade Pasta
Alright, let's get down to business! We're making some classic homemade pasta. This recipe is a...
By vitalsguy 2025-07-14 14:23:12 0 7K