Amazon is ramping up recruitment ahead of Black Friday and the busy holiday shopping season in Australia — but that annual hiring spree may soon become a thing of the past if the company’s automation ambitions take hold.

According to sources, Amazon is seeking to replace thousands of warehouse workers with robots and automated systems, a move that could dramatically reshape its global workforce.

In the United States alone, as many as half a million jobs are reportedly at risk.

The e-commerce giant is expanding rapidly in Australia, moving into new retail categories and expecting to double its product range by 2033, according to The New York Times. To support that growth, Amazon executives believe that investing in robotics will help the company meet soaring demand without hiring an addi

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