Amazon Unveils New Robots As Report Uncovers Massive Push To Automate Jobs

By Chris Spiker From Daily Voice

Amazon is introducing new robotics and artificial intelligence systems as the online retail giant is reportedly considering automation plans to avoid hiring more than half a million workers.

The company unveiled a system coordinating several robotic arms called Blue Jay on Wednesday, Oct. 22. The system uses its arms to pick up, put away, and consolidate items in one station, replacing three separate work areas.

Blue Jay, which is being tested at a South Carolina site, can handle about 75% of all item types stored at Amazon's facilities, according to the company.

"Our latest innovations are great examples of how we're using AI and robotics to create an even better experience for our employees and customers," Amazon Robotics chief technologist Tye Brady said. "The goal is to make technology the most practical, the most powerful tool it can be — so that work becomes safer, smarter, and more rewarding."

Amazon also revealed Project Eluna, which is an AI model that aims to help warehouse workers by reducing repetitive tasks, improving safety, and speeding up delivery. The system will be piloted at a fulfillment center in Tennessee during the holiday season.

Project Eluna is promoted as a tool to assist operations managers by anticipating bottlenecks and recommending actions in real time.

"The real headline isn't about robots," said Brady. "It's about people — and the future of work we're building together.”

Amazon's logo displayed on a smartphone screen.

Unsplash - Christian Wiediger

The Blue Jay and Project Eluna announcement comes one day after The New York Times reported on internal Amazon documents that say executives expect robotics could replace hundreds of thousands of jobs. The company's automation team projects that Amazon can avoid hiring more than 160,000 US workers by 2027, saving about 30 cents per item processed.

In 2024, executives told Amazon's board that they hoped automation would reduce the need to hire additional US employees. Despite expecting to sell twice as many products by 2033, the Times estimates that Amazon wouldn't need to hire more than 600,000 people.

The documents also suggested that executives shouldn't say terms like "AI" and "automation" when talking about robotics. The company was advised to use phrases that imply working with humans, like "advanced technology" or saying "cobot" instead of "robot."

Amazon downplayed the report from the Times, with a spokesperson saying that the documents were incomplete and not representative of the company's strategies. The spokesperson also said Amazon isn't asking executives to avoid certain terms.

Automation has already reduced Amazon's need for human labor at newer facilities. By 2027, the company plans to replicate the model used at an advanced warehouse in Shreveport, Louisiana, across 40 additional sites, including in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Stone Mountain, Georgia.

While Amazon has announced plans to hire 250,000 people for the holiday season, it didn't disclose to the Times how many jobs would be permanent.