Amazon’s increasing focus on automation within its fulfillment centers is set to significantly alter the landscape of warehouse jobs in the United States. A recent report from a prominent American publication indicates that the technology giant is advancing its robotics and AI automation strategies, potentially replacing a substantial part of its U.S. workforce by 2033. Internal documents and interviews referenced in the report suggest that Amazon plans to automate nearly 75 percent of its warehouse operations over the next decade. By 2027, the company could avoid hiring around 160,000 workers, which could save approximately 30 cents per processed item and reduce operational expenses by an estimated $12.6 billion from 2025 to 2027.
Amazon’s robotics division is actively testing a new generation of ‘cobots’—collaborative robots that assist human workers in sorting, packing, and moving goods with accuracy and speed. These innovations are part of a larger initiative to streamline fulfillment centers, making them faster and less dependent on manual labor, even as Amazon anticipates a doubling of its sales volume during the same period. However, as robots assume greater responsibilities, a troubling question arises regarding the fate of the human workers they displace. The report suggests that Amazon is already strategizing to mitigate potential public backlash from significant job losses.
Internally, the company has explored ways to frame automation positively by using neutral terms like ‘advanced technology’ instead of ‘AI’ or ‘automation,’ and calling robots ‘cobots’ to highlight collaboration rather than replacement. Nevertheless, many experts caution about the broader economic implications. Nobel Prize-winning economist Daron Acemoglu remarked that ‘nobody else has the same incentive as Amazon to find the way to automate.’ He warned that if Amazon’s approach proves profitable, it may influence others to follow suit, turning one of the largest employers in the U.S. into a net job destroyer rather than a creator. In response, Amazon disputes this portrayal.
Company spokesperson Kelly Nantel stated that the leaked documents represent the viewpoint of a single team and do not reflect the company’s overall policy. She noted that Amazon is actively hiring across the country, with plans to fill 250,000 positions for the upcoming holiday season. Nantel also emphasized that leadership is not instructed to avoid terms like ‘AI’ or ‘automation,’ and that community engagement efforts are separate from automation initiatives. Should Amazon’s automation objectives come to fruition, the repercussions could extend well beyond its warehouses, potentially transforming the entire logistics industry. What were once vibrant employment centers may evolve into highly automated environments, governed by algorithms and overseen by a diminished human workforce.
Ironically, the company that initially transformed online shopping through extensive job creation may now reshape it again—this time with widespread automation.