Amazon is on track to have more robots than humans working in its warehouses, with over a million robots now deployed—nearly matching its human workforce. Robots now assist with or handle tasks like picking, packaging, and sorting in about 75% of Amazon's global deliveries, according to the company. The automation is credited with boosting productivity and addressing high turnover in warehouse jobs, as many workers now move from manual labor to roles overseeing or maintaining robots. For some, this has meant higher pay and less physical strain, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Amazon's push into robotics began in earnest after it acquired Kiva Systems, which made robots that could move shelves across warehouse floors, in 2012. Since then, robots have gradually taken on tougher assignments, from moving inventory to packaging and sorting. At its large Shreveport facility, dozens of robotic arms and mobile robots help speed up operations, moving products 25% faster than at older sites. The company said in a blog post Monday that it had deployed its millionth robot, which was recently delivered to a fulfillment center in Japan. Amazon said it is developing a "generative AI foundation model" called DeepFleet to coordinate robots across its network.
With more robots deployed, the average number of employees per Amazon facility has dropped to its lowest in 16 years, and the company says the total workforce will likely shrink in the coming years. Amazon says, however, that it has trained more than 700,000 workers worldwide for higher-skilled jobs. Amazon states that robots are intended to work alongside humans—not replace them—but advocates for warehouse workers remain cautious about the longer-term impact on employment, especially as automation expands in larger fulfillment centers. The company, which recently warned that some jobs will be replaced by AI, is currently testing humanoid delivery robots.
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