Amazon Looks to Replace Pesky Paid Workers With Humanoid Bots That Don't Need to Pee

Gizmodo

05-06-2025

Amazon is pretty serious about robots, and for a long time now, its factories have been teeming with them. Big squat ones, tall crane-like ones, and some big slug boys. It's like the e-commerce, capitalistic version of a George Lucas droid ecosystem with somehow worse naming conventions (I'm looking at you, Xanthus). While those bots are hard at work automating warehouses around the country, there's still one part of Amazon's draconian business that hasn't been irrevocably touched by the cold steel hand of robotic automation, and that's package delivery—at least for now.
According to The Information, Amazon is ready to take the next step in its quest to automate the final step of package fulfillment with a fleet of humanoid robots. The report, which cites an anonymous source involved in the effort, says that Amazon will test the humanoid robots at an indoor park in San Francisco that's the size of a coffee shop. Those humanoid robots are reportedly being trained to 'spring out' of Amazon's Rivian-made delivery vans for last-mile package delivery and actually drop the package at your doorstep. Apologies in advance to your dog and its already sour relationship with delivery guys.
Since it's 2025, that effort to bring humanoid robots into the delivery fold is being coupled with internal attempts to craft AI software that's designed to operate the bots and guide them to your door. To me, that effort feels maybe a little ambitious considering Amazon hasn't even fully rolled out its LLM-powered Alexa+ voice assistant yet, but hey, never underestimate the appeal of automating the workforce. And naturally, since this is Amazon we're talking about, that's what this is all about.
In case you weren't already aware, Amazon has a slightly strained relationship with its labor force, and this is another step toward eliminating that perceived nuisance altogether. A robot, after all, probably isn't being coded to form a union, and it certainly won't have to pee in a bottle after being forced to remain on the factory floor for too long. As much as I love the idea of humanoid robots and the pie-in-the-sky vision of our Jetsons-esque future, I can't help but feel like humanoid robots, in this case, won't really benefit anyone but Amazon in the end. I don't know about you, but I'm not exactly itching for a robot that gets confused about whether to deliver a package on the steps outside my apartment building or in the much safer foyer.
We'll see if Amazon can really pull the whole robots delivering your latest impulse purchase thing off, though. There are still lots of hurdles before humanoid robots can really handle the stress of walking on two legs, or God forbid, carrying something with real weight. There's obviously no timeline on when or if robots like Digit, which is made by Agility Robotics, a company that's already partnered with Amazon on humanoid robots, will find their way to real-life applications. Digit is currently being tested in Amazon's factories, but those are much more controlled conditions than, say, the chaotic streets of New York City, where I—and millions of other people—live. Those obstacles won't stop Amazon from trying, that's for sure. Best of luck, Digit, or whatever robot lands this unpaid perma-internship with Amazon; if past employer/employee relationships are any indication, you're going to need it.