Close Menu
    Amazon now has a million robots on its floors - and they're now close to outnumbering human workers
    Futurology

    Amazon now has a million robots on its floors – and they’re now close to outnumbering human workers


    Amazon now has a million robots on its floors – and they’re now close to outnumbering human workers

    https://www.techradar.com/pro/amazon-now-has-a-million-robots-on-its-floors-and-theyre-now-close-to-outnumbering-human-workers

    Share.
    View 12 Comments

    12 Comments

    1. Gari_305 on

      From the article

      [Amazon](https://www.techradar.com/tag/amazon) has revealed it now has nearly as many robots as humans in its workforce after deploying its millionth robot across its warehouses and operations, a [*WSJ*](https://www.wsj.com/tech/amazon-warehouse-robots-automation-942b814f?st=REtFZz&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink) report has claimed.

      Helping to pick, sort, package and transport goods, robots now assist with around three in four global deliveries, however the effects on the workforce might not be as bad as it first sounds, and plenty of human jobs remain.

      Also from the article

      Among its current fleet are Hercules, which can lift up to 1,250lbs, Pegasus, which handles packages via a conveyor belt, and Proteus, Amazon’s first fully autonomous robot operating alongside humans.

      However, at the same time, Amazon Robotics VP Scott Dresser [boasted](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/amazon-million-robots-ai-foundation-model) that more than 700,000 employees have been upskilled since 2019 through training in robotics, engineering and maintenance, suggesting that human roles at Amazon could be evolving rather than disappearing.

    2. Orwells_Roses on

      Do these labor saving devices improve the work conditions for any of the human beings who work for Amazon?

      From what I understand, working for Amazon is horrific, they track your every move and penalize you for restroom breaks, while paying less than living wages. I see Amazon delivery people literally running from truck to doorstep and back to the truck, trying to keep their jobs. Meanwhile the company makes incredible profits and the owner is one of the wealthiest men on the planet, all at the expense of working people.

      If these robots don’t improve normal people’s lives, what good are they? The billionaires make enough money already.

    3. Leptonshavenocolor on

      Robuts outnumber people where I work. At a minimum it’s got to be 2:1, could be as high as 5:1 though.

    5. tapdancinghellspawn on

      So now humans workers will get enough time to go to the bathroom. Also, as more humans are replaced by robots, Bezos can have his next wedding on the Moon.

    7. kickasstimus on

      So … Amazon is becoming a very large vending machine restocked by robots.

    8. SprinklesHuman3014 on

      Guess that’s what happens when your business model is “burning through the workforce”. Robots don’t suffer from burnout, and can’t go looking for work somewhere else.

    9. Billieliebe on

      Before the robots/ drives, the employees would have to walk over 15 miles a day to stow and pick orders. The Robots have created new jobs and allowed people to explore career choices they didn’t know about or they wouldn’t have had an opportunity to explore on their own.

    10. Eat--The--Rich-- on

      So tax them 150% of a single person’s pay roll for each one then. Then put all of that money into welfare or ubi. Problem solved. 

    11. Mtbruning on

      Great, now let’s see the robots buy the products. We might have enough product to stop making shit for a century and not notice.

    12. batchrendre on

      Hey just saying if this bothers you and you pay for Amazon prime you could always…well…stop.