Amazon on Wednesday said it is speeding up the automation of its warehouses with the help of artificial intelligence and robotics, raising questions about the future of human workers.
The e-commerce colossus known for its promise of quick deliveries showed off robotic arms and other high-tech warehouse tools in Silicon Valley, saying AI is not only powering innovations but accelerating how quickly they are developed by the second largest employer in the United States.
“Blue Jay” robotic arms billed as capable of efficiently picking, sorting, and consolidating at a single workstation were among AI enhanced equipment items demonstrated by Amazon at a conference held in a massive distribution center in Silicon Valley.
The arrival of Blue Jay, being tested in South Carolina, follows that of a Vulcan robot early this year that Amazon described as having a sense of touch while tending to its duty helping fulfill orders for customers.
Amazon Robotics chief technologist Tye Brady credited AI with slashing the time it took to design, build and deploy Blue Jay by some two-thirds to just slightly more than a year.
“That’s the power of AI,” Brady said.
“Expect more rapid development cycles like this…we’re on a trajectory to supercharge the scale and impact of innovation with our operations.”
Brady dismissed concerns that enhancing warehouses with robotics and AI will mean fewer jobs for humans, saying Amazon has created more US jobs in the past decade than any other company.
“To our frontline employees, here’s my message,” Brady said.
“These systems are not experiments. They’re real tools built for you to make your job safer, smarter and more rewarding.”
However, The New York Times on Tuesday reported that robotics could let Amazon avoid hiring 160,000 workers in just two years even as its online retail business grows.
Automation of Amazon warehouses could cut the need to hire, particularly when it comes to temporary workers needed for peak holiday shopping demands.
Amazon on Wednesday also demonstrated an AI agent designed to manage robots and warehouse teams more efficiently.
The e-commerce giant’s innovations reach outside distribution centers, with Amazon demonstrating camera-equipped smart glasses that display navigation and delivery instructions to drivers.
