MikeMareen/Depositphotos.com
In an exhaustive Oct. 21 report from The New York Times, the publication outlined details tied to several Amazon interviews and internal strategy documents -- with the thrust being that Amazon execs believe the company is poised to replace more than half a million (and potentially 600,000) workers with robotic equivalents.
"Executives told Amazon’s board last year that they hoped robotic automation would allow the company to continue to avoid adding to its U.S. work force in the coming years, even though they expect to sell twice as many products by 2033. That would translate to more than 600,000 people whom Amazon didn’t need to hire," the publication's Karen Weise wrote.
The retailer's robotics team also allegedly holds a stated goal of automating 75% of its total operations, creating warehouses pertaining to its superfast deliveries facilities that employ very few human workers whatsoever. The documents appear to discuss avoiding words such as "automation" and "A.I.," instead preferring terms such as "advanced technology" and "cobot" -- rather than "robot" -- to emphasize the nature of collaborative work alongside human employees.
For its part, Amazon is attempting to downplay the report first issued by the NYT, with The New York Daily News (via The Oakland Press) reporting that a company spokesperson offered a differing take on the allegations.
“Leaked documents often paint an incomplete and misleading picture of our plans, and that’s the case here. In this instance, the materials appear to reflect the perspective of just one team and don’t represent our overall hiring strategy across our various operations business lines — now or moving forward," the spokesperson said.
It wasn't made precisely clear by the New York Daily News whether the spokesperson in question was Kelly Nantel, whom the NYT cited as stating similar views as above, as well as plans for Amazon to hire 250,000 seasonal workers in advance of the upcoming holiday season.
Further, Amazon VP of Worldwide Operations Udit Madan signaled hopes that the role of the company's human staff would evolve to fit the changing paradigm, with robots doing the "heavy lifting."
"He’s claimed that the money the company saves from automation helps to create new higher-paying jobs, such as positions for robotic technicians. Madan said that since 2019, nearly 5,000 people have gone through Amazon’s mechatronics apprenticeship program, and that investing in upskilling its workforce is 'something close to my heart,' NYDN's Brian Niemietz wrote.
Amazon's Goodwill Initiatives: Tied to Potential Bad Press or Good Corporate Citizenship?
The NYT further implied that Amazon believes its massive push towards automation of work processes was so nearby, it had begun making plans to lessen the fallout in communities where jobs are threatened.
"Documents show the company has considered building an image as a 'good corporate citizen' through greater participation in community events such as parades and Toys for Tots," Weise outlined.
By contrast, as Niemietz reported, Amazon did not agree with that narrative.
"A company spokesman told the Times that its alleged efforts to appear as a 'good corporate citizen' is unrelated to automation that may take jobs from the very communities it plans to engage."
Further, company reps indicated that the entire premise of Amazon planning to essentially replace human employees with robotic workers was erroneous at its core.
“The facts speak for themselves: No company has created more jobs in America over the past decade than Amazon,” a spokesman told the NYDN.