Latest news with #DeepFleet
Newsweek
25 minutes ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Amazon's Robot Workforce Hits Ominous Milestone
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Amazon now has more than one million robots operating inside its warehouses, nearly equaling the number of human workers. Amazon's expanding fleet of robots includes: Hercules, a lifter capable of handling 1,250 pounds; Pegasus, which sorts packages on conveyor belts; and Proteus, the company's first fully autonomous robot able to operate directly alongside people. The robots are especially productive in same-day delivery hubs where fewer human workers are employed and speed is crucial. An Amazon logo is displayed outside an Amazon Delivery Station on April 25, 2025 in San Diego, California. An Amazon logo is displayed outside an Amazon Delivery Station on April 25, 2025 in San Diego, a new report, the Wall Street Journal wrote, "Robots are also supplanting some employees, helping the company to slow hiring. "Amazon employs about 1.56 million people overall, with the majority working in warehouses. "The average number of employees Amazon had per facility last year, roughly 670, was the lowest recorded in the past 16 years, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis, which compared the company's reported workforce with estimates of its facility count." As per TechRadar, Amazon has claimed that productivity in these high-tech facilities is roughly 25% faster than in traditional warehouses. Amazon's Robotics Solutions In a statement to Newsweek, an Amazon spokesperson said, "Our robotics solutions are designed to automate tasks in an effort to continue improving safety, reducing repetition, and freeing our employees up to deliver for customers in more skilled ways. "Since introducing robots within Amazon's operations, we've continued to hire hundreds of thousands of employees to work in our facilities and created many new job categories worldwide, including positions like flow control specialists, floor monitors, and reliability maintenance engineers." The Expansion of AI In a press release, Amazon's VP of Robotics Scott Dresser explained that a new generative artificial intelligence (AI) Model will help the company increase robot mobility by 10%. "Called DeepFleet, this AI technology will coordinate the movement of robots across our fulfillment network, improving the travel time of our robotic fleet by 10% and enabling us to deliver packages to customers faster and at lower costs," Dresser noted. "These robots work alongside our employees, handling heavy lifting and repetitive tasks while creating new opportunities for our front-line operators to develop technical skills. "I'm particularly proud that since 2019, we've helped upskill more than 700,000 employees through various training initiatives, many focused on working with advanced technologies." 'We will need fewer people' At the same time, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy offered a more direct message in a letter to employees, warning that the expansion of AI across the company will lead to a leaner corporate workforce. In the letter, cited by Newsweek, he wrote, "As we roll out more Generative AI and agents, it should change the way our work is done. "We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs." Critics Say Worker Cuts Are About Cost, Not Innovation Jassy's statement drew criticism from labor advocates and consultants who believe Amazon is prioritizing cost-cutting over employment. Speaking with Newsweek, Human Resources consultant Bryan Driscoll said, "The letter reads as a masterclass in spin. And this move isn't about leaner teams or working smarter. "It's about replacing human labor with machines - employees without the headache of dealing with humans, wages, benefits, and compliance." He added, "The company openly admits AI will reduce its total workforce but frames that as a net gain for customer experience - at least from those customers who can still afford to buy things. "What it actually means is that tens of thousands of people will lose their jobs not because they weren't performing, but because they can be replaced by a cheaper worker." Newsweek has contacted Amazon for comment via email. Newsweek's "What Should I Do?" offers expert advice to readers. If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via life@ We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work, and your story could be featured on WSID at Newsweek. To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, click here.
CNET
18 hours ago
- Business
- CNET
Amazon Reaches Automation Milestone by Deploying Its Millionth Robot
Amazon's fleet of warehouse robots just hit a new milestone. The company announced Monday that it deployed its millionth bot to begin operations at a fulfillment center in Japan. Amazon's ambitions for robot use have long surpassed the company utilizing them for delivery service. The business juggernaut is the world's leading manufacturer of mobile robotics, and aims to sell them to you for use at home as well -- if you have $1600 to spare. The robotic workers operate in over 300 Amazon warehouses across the world, creating an ever-expanding automated delivery network. More than 75% of Amazon's global deliveries are assisted in some way by robot automation, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. Amazon has also developed a new generative AI model called DeepFleet to make the robots in the delivery system "smarter and more efficient." According to Amazon, this new model will coordinate robots across the fulfillment network to improve package travel times by 10%. The company's robots currently lift thousands of pounds of packages at a time, integrate conveyor belts to move along individual items and move autonomously around the warehouse with heavy carts. The most recent fleet upgrade, Vulcan, uses force feedback sensors to create a sense of touch, physically lifting and moving items all by itself. Amazon's robots work in tandem with more than 1.6 million human workers worldwide. The Wall Street Journal reports that Amazon is on track to have more automated workers than employed humans, while Amazon workers have begun to unionize in recent years. A representative for Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
TechCrunch
19 hours ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
Amazon deploys its 1 millionth robot, releases generative AI model
After 13 years of deploying robots into its warehouses, Amazon reached a new milestone. The tech behemoth now has 1 million robots in its warehouses, the company announced Monday. This one millionth robot was recently delivered to an Amazon fulfillment facility in Japan. That figure puts Amazon on track to reach another landmark: Its vast network of warehouses may soon have the same number of robots working as people, according to reporting from The Wall Street Journal. The WSJ also reported that 75% of Amazon's global deliveries are now assisted in some way by a robot. TechCrunch reached out to Amazon for more information. The company also announced it's releasing a new generative AI model called DeepFleet for its warehouse robots. This AI model, which can coordinate the robots' routes within the company's warehouses more efficiently, will help increase the speed of its robotic fleet by 10%, according to Amazon. The company used Amazon SageMaker — the AWS cloud studio that helps build and deploy AI models — to create DeepFleet. Amazon trained the model on its own warehouse and inventory data. Amazon's one millionth robot represents more than just a number. The company has improved its fleet of robots in recent years, adding new capabilities and models. Techcrunch event Save $450 on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW In May, the company unveiled its latest robot, Vulcan. This model has two arms, one designed for rearranging inventory and another with a camera and suction cup to grab items. Most notably, these Vulcan robots have a sense of 'touch' that allows it to feel the items it is grabbing, according to Amazon. In October 2024, the company announced its 'next-generation fulfillment centers,' which would include 10x as many robots as their current facilities, in addition to human workers. The first of these new robotic-powered centers opened shortly after in Shreveport, Louisiana, near the Texas border. Amazon originally started building up its robotic capabilities back in 2012 alongside its acquisition of Kiva Systems.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Amazon Robots Close In On Human Workforce
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) just hit a milestone with its one-millionth warehouse robot deployed in Japan, pushing its robot-to-human ratio toward parity as it expands the world's largest fleet of industrial mobile bots. About 75% of Amazon's global deliveries now get a helping hand from robots, which operate across more than 300 fulfillment centers, and the average headcount per facility fell to roughly 670 last yearthe lowest in 16 yearsaccording to a Wall Street Journal analysis. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Sign with AMZN. Over the same period, packages shipped per employee jumped to about 3,870 from 175 in 2015, highlighting steep productivity gains as robotics ease heavy staff turnover and absorb menial tasks. Amazon is also rolling out DeepFleet, a new generative AI foundation model designed to make its entire robot fleet smarter and more efficient. Why It Matters: As Amazon leans ever more on automation, labor costs may shrink and throughput rise, potentially boosting margins and reshaping employment dynamics in logistics hubs. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Amazon Robots Close In On Human Workforce
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) just hit a milestone with its one-millionth warehouse robot deployed in Japan, pushing its robot-to-human ratio toward parity as it expands the world's largest fleet of industrial mobile bots. About 75% of Amazon's global deliveries now get a helping hand from robots, which operate across more than 300 fulfillment centers, and the average headcount per facility fell to roughly 670 last yearthe lowest in 16 yearsaccording to a Wall Street Journal analysis. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Sign with AMZN. Over the same period, packages shipped per employee jumped to about 3,870 from 175 in 2015, highlighting steep productivity gains as robotics ease heavy staff turnover and absorb menial tasks. Amazon is also rolling out DeepFleet, a new generative AI foundation model designed to make its entire robot fleet smarter and more efficient. Why It Matters: As Amazon leans ever more on automation, labor costs may shrink and throughput rise, potentially boosting margins and reshaping employment dynamics in logistics hubs. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
