Latest news with #GregBensinger
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Amazon cuts more jobs, this time in books division
By Greg Bensinger SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -Amazon has cut jobs in its books division, including at its Goodreads review site and Kindle units, the company said on Thursday. The Seattle-based retailer said that fewer than 100 workers were impacted and the move was meant to improve efficiency and streamline operations. "As part of our ongoing work to make our teams and programs operate more efficiently, and to better align with our business roadmap, we've made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of roles within the Books organization," an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement. Amazon has been making piecemeal job cuts, most recently in its devices and services unit, as well as its Wondery podcast division and stores and communications staff. CEO Andy Jassy is undertaking an initiative to reduce what he has described as an excess of bureaucracy at the company, including by reducing the number of managers. Through this year's first quarter, Amazon added about 4,000 jobs compared to last year's fourth quarter, according to a disclosure last month. Shares of Amazon closed 0.3% higher on Thursday and are down 5.6% so far this year. The job cuts in the books division were first reported by Business Insider. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Amazon cuts more jobs, this time in books division
By Greg Bensinger SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -Amazon has cut jobs in its books division, including at its Goodreads review site and Kindle units, the company said on Thursday. The Seattle-based retailer said that fewer than 100 workers were impacted and the move was meant to improve efficiency and streamline operations. "As part of our ongoing work to make our teams and programs operate more efficiently, and to better align with our business roadmap, we've made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of roles within the Books organization," an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement. Amazon has been making piecemeal job cuts, most recently in its devices and services unit, as well as its Wondery podcast division and stores and communications staff. CEO Andy Jassy is undertaking an initiative to reduce what he has described as an excess of bureaucracy at the company, including by reducing the number of managers. Through this year's first quarter, Amazon added about 4,000 jobs compared to last year's fourth quarter, according to a disclosure last month. Shares of Amazon closed 0.3% higher on Thursday and are down 5.6% so far this year. The job cuts in the books division were first reported by Business Insider. Sign in to access your portfolio
The Star
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Star
Amazon's delivery and logistics will get an AI boost
FILE PHOTO: Amazon logo is seen in this illustration taken February 16, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -Amazon wants customers to know that artificial intelligence is not just for writing college essays. In a series of announcements Wednesday, Amazon demonstrated how stockroom robots, delivery people and its sprawling warehouses will all benefit from a hefty dose of artificial intelligence, speeding packages to customer doorsteps. The company said it is forming a new group at its Lab126 device unit focused on creating warehouse robots that will perform multiple tasks when prompted, a significant advance over today's robots that typically are designed for a singular job. Using so-called agentic AI, these robots will be able to unload trailers and then retrieve parts for repairs, according to Amazon. 'We're creating systems that can hear, understand and act on natural language commands, turning warehouse robots into flexible, multi-talented assistants,' Amazon said in a statement, without providing details such as what the robots might look like or cost. Amazon described the advances ahead of a press event Wednesday at Lab126 in Sunnyvale, California, where it gathered robotics and logistics executives for demonstrations. Among the additional announcements are that Amazon is using generative AI to create more advanced maps for its delivery drivers, so that they can more efficiently deliver packages for the final few yards (metres) of their journeys. The specialized AI will provide Amazon fine detail on building shapes, as well as obstacles and anything else they may need to navigate a package drop-off. 'This innovation is making it easier for Amazon drivers to find the right delivery spot, especially in tricky places like big office complexes,' Amazon said. That technology could be critical to specialized eyeglasses Amazon is developing for delivery drivers that Reuters reported exclusively last year. The company hopes to outfit drivers with screen-embedded glasses that free their hands from GPS devices and give them turn by turn directions while driving, as well as while carrying packages at their destination. Finally, Amazon said it AI will help it more efficiently predict what products customers will need and where to improve its same day delivery operations. On a more basic level, it means that winter coats likely will not be stocked in Phoenix warehouses in summer though Amazon suggested that other factors the software will consider are price, convenience, relying on factors such as weather and sales events, like Prime Day. In its announcement, Amazon promised to minimize waste through less carbon emissions and traffic as the result of the new AI. (Reporting by Greg Bensinger; Editing by Michael Perry)
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Amazon's delivery and logistics will get an AI boost
By Greg Bensinger SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -Amazon wants customers to know that artificial intelligence is not just for writing college essays. In a series of announcements Wednesday, Amazon demonstrated how stockroom robots, delivery people and its sprawling warehouses will all benefit from a hefty dose of artificial intelligence, speeding packages to customer doorsteps. The company said it is forming a new group at its Lab126 device unit focused on creating warehouse robots that will perform multiple tasks when prompted, a significant advance over today's robots that typically are designed for a singular job. Using so-called agentic AI, these robots will be able to unload trailers and then retrieve parts for repairs, according to Amazon. 'We're creating systems that can hear, understand and act on natural language commands, turning warehouse robots into flexible, multi-talented assistants,' Amazon said in a statement, without providing details such as what the robots might look like or cost. Amazon described the advances ahead of a press event Wednesday at Lab126 in Sunnyvale, California, where it gathered robotics and logistics executives for demonstrations. Among the additional announcements are that Amazon is using generative AI to create more advanced maps for its delivery drivers, so that they can more efficiently deliver packages for the final few yards (metres) of their journeys. The specialized AI will provide Amazon fine detail on building shapes, as well as obstacles and anything else they may need to navigate a package drop-off. 'This innovation is making it easier for Amazon drivers to find the right delivery spot, especially in tricky places like big office complexes,' Amazon said. That technology could be critical to specialized eyeglasses Amazon is developing for delivery drivers that Reuters reported exclusively last year. The company hopes to outfit drivers with screen-embedded glasses that free their hands from GPS devices and give them turn by turn directions while driving, as well as while carrying packages at their destination. Finally, Amazon said it AI will help it more efficiently predict what products customers will need and where to improve its same day delivery operations. On a more basic level, it means that winter coats likely will not be stocked in Phoenix warehouses in summer though Amazon suggested that other factors the software will consider are price, convenience, relying on factors such as weather and sales events, like Prime Day. In its announcement, Amazon promised to minimize waste through less carbon emissions and traffic as the result of the new AI.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Amazon's in-car software deal with Stellantis fizzles
By Nora Eckert and Greg Bensinger DETROIT (Reuters) -Amazon's deal with Stellantis to create in-car software that the companies hoped would transform the driving experience while bolstering their vehicle-tech credentials is "winding down," the companies confirmed after a Reuters inquiry. The Stellantis SmartCockpit project, which would rely on Amazon's in-car technology, is the latest example of traditional automakers struggling to work with Silicon Valley to introduce more sophisticated vehicle software. 'Stellantis remains a valuable partner for Amazon , and the companies continue to work together on a range of initiatives," the companies said in a statement, adding that the decision to end their joint work on SmartCockpit was mutual. The project between the Seattle tech giant and the maker of Jeeps, Peugeots and Alfa Romeos was hailed by the CEOs of both companies when it was announced in 2022. The two planned to develop features that would make the cars feel like an extension of home by detecting the driver and personalizing settings such as the thermostat, navigation and even home automation, like turning on lights. Stellantis had hoped Amazon's software expertise would help the global automaker in the race against companies like Tesla and China's BYD. And for Amazon it was meant to serve as a prototype for a wider rollout to more automakers. In a January 2022 press release, Stellantis's then-CEO Carlos Tavares said he hoped the partnership would help make the vehicles "the most wanted, most captivating place to be, even when not driving." Tavares left the automaker abruptly last year, and the company is expected to name his replacement soon. Stellantis has since tried to revive its slumping stock, which fell about 40% in 2024, amid disappointing sales, especially in North America. Automotive software has emerged as one of the most important, and difficult, areas for legacy automakers to nail. Much of what modern cars do today is dictated by code, including the feel of the brakes, infotainment system, and advanced driving-assistance features such as automated steering – for which automakers can charge subscription fees, unlocking significant revenue streams. Ford recently axed its next-generation electrical architecture due to ballooning costs around the technology. Reuters couldn't determine any singular reason the partnership on SmartCockpit ended. The companies said the shift "will allow each team to focus on solutions that provide value to our shared customers and better align with our evolving strategies." Relative newcomers, like Elon Musk's Tesla, built electrical and software systems that can quickly deliver new features or fixes to customers at a lower cost to the company. Traditional carmakers, including Volkswagen and General Motors, have struggled to master these systems on their own, and have been poaching talent from Silicon Valley or forming partnerships in an effort to reverse that trend. Unlike Tesla which has very little complexity across its smaller lineup of vehicles, Stellantis manages dozens of models across 14 brands and a maze of global suppliers, increasing the challenges around implementing new software. SmartCockpit was initially planned to arrive in vehicles in late 2024 to early 2025. It was a part of what Stellantis called its ABC platform, which included its electrical architecture, called STLA Brain, and Autodrive driver-assistance system. Under the agreement, Stellantis would pay Amazon for access to the software in each car, as well as other maintenance fees. As envisioned, Amazon would pay Stellantis incentive fees for things like drivers signing up for its music subscription service through the vehicles, two sources said. The automaker also partnered with Amazon to use the tech company's cloud business, called Amazon Web Services, to store and update data across its complex lineup. Stellantis will continue to rely on AWS, the companies said, and Alexa will also still be available in some Stellantis vehicles. Stellantis could potentially continue work on the SmartCockpit with another operating system as its base, such as Google's Android platform, people familiar with the matter said. Amazon hoped that the team's work, internally called Digital Cabin or 'Project Quatro,' would rival Google's Automotive Services, the standard Android-based operating system used by many automakers, one of the sources said. Most of Amazon's Digital Cabin staff has been reassigned or left the company, one of the people said. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
