Amazon is one of the largest publicly traded retailers in the world. They are well known for their lightning fast delivery service and selling practically anything you could think of. They now have more than 250,000 mobile robots working in its warehouse, as well as its millions of employees. This may seem like a smart step for the future, however the main dilemma of the use of robots in Amazon warehouses is its massive impact it would have on the work force. It would most definitely result in massive job losses, with robotics replacing many employees in any specific field. However, Amazon believes it gives them the basis on which it could form new versions of the robotics for the years to come. It would build a rapid and effective production line, helping Amazon to pursue their known trait of fast deliveries, through the subscription service Amazon Prime.
The chairman of Attabotics, a warehouse automation start-up, said, ‘They defined the expectations for the modern consumer.’ Companies, like Attaotics, are fond of the use of robotics in warehouse and are following suit in building smarter and cheaper robotic solutions to keep up with companies like Amazon. The use of artificial intelligence in general is growing and is seen as the future of our lives. The concept of AI shows us that soon, jobs like those in the warehouse, will be taken over by computer programs.
Amazon continues to add its robots to its centres and is simultaneously working on new inventions to handle different tasks in the workplace. Such an invention means that they would need fewer workers. In an official statement, Amazon quoted a ‘changing jobs landscape’ as the incentive for this project.
