Amazon's warehouses are now home to over one million robots, matching the number of human employees
Robots at Amazon aren't just rolling around for show. They're sorting, picking, and moving items, handling a big chunk of the grunt work. Some, like the Vulcan robot, can pluck products from shelves with surprising precision. Others, like Proteus, glide across the warehouse floor, dodging obstacles and hauling heavy carts to loading docks. Roughly three-quarters of Amazon's global deliveries now involve robotics in some way, so there's a good chance a robot played a part in getting your last order to your door.
With so many robots taking over repetitive tasks, Amazon doesn't need as many people on the warehouse floor as it once did. The average number of employees per facility has dropped to about 670, the lowest in 16 years. Meanwhile, each worker is expected to handle far more packages than before, with productivity per employee jumping from 175 packages a year in 2015 to nearly 3,870 last year. Amazon's CEO, Andy Jassy, has been upfront that as more AI and robotics are rolled out, fewer people will be needed for certain roles going forward.
Amazon often points to its efforts to retrain staff, saying more than 700,000 employees have moved into roles like robot technician or system manager. But the reality is not everyone can or wants to make that leap, and the overall demand for traditional warehouse labour is shrinking as automation spreads. For many workers, this shift brings uncertainty about job security and what the future holds, even as the company highlights upskilling programmes.
Amazon's move towards automation started in 2012, when it bought Kiva Systems, a company that made robots for moving inventory around warehouses. Since then, robots have become a fixture, with new models and AI systems introduced every year to make warehouses run faster and more efficiently. Now, humans and machines work side by side, but the balance is shifting.
Looking ahead, it's clear Amazon will keep doubling down on automation, with robots taking over more routine work. This might mean even faster deliveries for shoppers, but it also means fewer traditional jobs and more pressure on workers to adapt or move on. While Amazon's approach is reshaping warehouse work, it's also raising tough questions about the future of labour in an industry that's changing faster than ever.
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