Amazon Hits 1 Million Robots, Should Human Workers Be Worried?: Company Says 'Creating New Career Opportunities'

E-commerce giant Amazon.com Inc AMZN has invested in robots over the years to help make its warehouses and facilities more efficient. The company is celebrating a robotics milestone alongside a new generative AI model.

What Happened: Amazon recently celebrated its one millionth robot in operations, a significant new milestone hit since 750,000 in early 2024.

Along with the milestone, Amazon also announced its new generative AI foundation model that will improve robot fleet travel efficiency by 10%. The company said the new technology will support faster delivery times and lower costs for customers.

"We've just deployed our 1 millionth robot, building on our position as the world's largest manufacturer and operator of mobile robotics," Amazon Robotics Vice President Scott Dresser said in a post.

Dresser said the new generative AI technology called DeepFleet makes robots smarter.

"Think of DeepFleet as an intelligent traffic management system for a city filled with cars moving through congested streets."

Read Also: Amazon Q1 Earnings: Double Beat, Q2 Guidance, CEO Focuses On Making ‘Customers’ Lives Easier And Better’

Why It's Important: In the blog post celebrating the milestone, Dresser highlighted the ongoing journey of Amazon's robots, which started in 2012 with a single type of robot that could move inventory shelves.

"Today, we operate a diverse fleet of robots, designed to make our employees' jobs easier and safer, and our operations more efficient," Dresser said.

Dresser highlighted the company's Hercules robot, which can lift up to 1,250 pounds of inventory, and the company's Proteus fully autonomous mobile robot that can safely navigate around employees.

While the one million robots milestone could spark worry that the 1.5 million Amazon human employees could someday be replaced, Dresser highlights how the two work hand in hand and there are opportunities for employees.

Dresser said since 2019, over 700,000 employees have been upskilled with training initiatives through robotics.

The Amazon Robotics Vice President said the company's new fulfillment center in Louisiana, launched late 2024, requires 30% more employees in various roles.

"The technology we're building does more than move products — it's transforming workplace safety and creating new career opportunities."

Amazon currently has around 1.5 million human employees worldwide, a total that could someday be surpassed by robots, given Amazon's impressive technology advancements pace.

"The combination of our million-robot milestone and DeepFleet points to an exciting future where robotics and AI work together to reimagine what's possible in fulfilment and delivery."

Amazon acquired robotic company Kiva Systems in 2012 for $775 million. Kiva changed its name to Amazon Robotics in 2015 and has been a large focus of the e-commerce company since then.

While other tech companies are laying off workers due to the advancement of AI, Amazon is as of right now creating opportunities for workers to work alongside robots and the latest AI technology, as long as they are willing to learn and take part in programs that teach them the latest technologies.

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Photo: Courtesy Amazon