Amazon is experimenting with humanoid robots within its US warehouses, signaling the tech giant’s ongoing efforts to automate various aspects of its operations. Amazon stated that the initiative aims to “liberate employees to enhance customer service.” The company is currently testing a novel robot named Digit, equipped with arms and legs, capable of moving, grasping, and handling items in a manner reminiscent of human actions. In response, a union criticized Amazon, stating that the company has been treating its workers as if they were robots for an extended period.
“Amazon’s embrace of automation is a rapid shift toward job losses. We’ve witnessed numerous jobs vanish in fulfillment centers,” remarked Stuart Richards, an organizer at the UK trade union GMB.
In response to the criticism, Amazon asserted that its robotics systems have, in fact, played a role in generating “hundreds of thousands of new jobs” within its operations. The company stated that these include 700 categories of new job types, particularly in skilled roles, that did not exist before.
The tech giant highlighted that it currently employs over 750,000 robots, operating in collaboration with human staff to handle “highly repetitive tasks.” Amazon Robotics’ chief technologist, Tye Brady, emphasized during a media briefing in Seattle that people are “irreplaceable” and dismissed the notion of fully-automated warehouses in the future.
“There’s not any part of me that thinks that would ever be a reality,” he stated, emphasizing the centrality of people to the fulfillment process, citing their ability to think at a higher level and diagnose problems.
Moving on Legs, Not Tires
Instead of relying on wheels for movement, Digit ambulates on two legs, equipped with arms capable of lifting and transporting various items, including packages, containers, customer orders, and objects.
According to Scott Dresser from Amazon Robotics, this design allows Digit to navigate areas with steps, stairs, or elevation changes within the facility.
However, Dresser emphasized that the robot is currently in the prototype stage, and the trial aims to assess its ability to work safely alongside human employees.
“It’s an experiment we’re conducting to gain insights into how we can effectively utilize mobile robots and manipulators in our environment here at Amazon,” he explained to the BBC.
Mr. Dresser suggested that concerns about human jobs being replaced did not align with Amazon’s experience.
“Our experience has been that these new technologies actually create jobs; they allow us to grow and expand. We’ve witnessed multiple examples of this through the robots we have today,” he explained.
He further pointed out that robots don’t operate continuously, requiring human intervention for maintenance and repairs. According to Dresser, the utilization of robots at Amazon has increased in response to the mounting pressure to reduce costs.
In the previous year, Amazon introduced trials for a colossal robotic arm designed for picking up items. The company already employs wheeled robots to facilitate the movement of goods within its warehouses and has initiated the use of drones for delivery in two U.S. states.
