Amazon is preparing for the largest automation in its history — and possibly the biggest job reduction in the United States.
According to leaked internal documents, the company plans to replace more than 600,000 American workers with robots by 2033 in order to cut costs and increase the efficiency of its warehouses and logistics.
Documents cited by The New York Times indicate that Amazon aims to automate 75% of its operations, and by 2027 the company expects to eliminate 160,000 jobs. As a result, Amazon anticipates savings of $12.6 billion between 2025 and 2027, while also reducing the cost per product by 30 cents per item.
To minimize public backlash, Amazon is developing a communication strategy to “soften” the perception of mass automation. The documents note that the company seeks to avoid terms like “automation” and “artificial intelligence”, instead using more neutral phrases such as “advanced technology” or “cobot” (robots that work alongside humans).
Amazon is also considering participating in community projects to shape the image of a “socially responsible company.”
Economists warn that if Amazon carries out these plans, the U.S. labor market could suffer a serious blow. Nobel Prize–winning economist Daron Acemoglu noted that Amazon has the strongest motivation in the world for total automation.
“If the company makes it profitable,” he said, “others will simply follow. And then one of the largest employers in the United States will become the biggest destroyer of jobs.”
Amazon stated that the document leak “does not reflect the company’s official position” and belongs to just one of its internal teams.
“Such documents are often incomplete or outdated. We are actively hiring across the country, including 250,000 seasonal positions for the holidays,” the company said in a statement to The Verge.
Nevertheless, analysts believe that even partial implementation of these plans will forever change the balance between humans and machines in global logistics.
Recently, ZYUNDEX reported that Elon Musk’s SpaceX officially surpassed 10,000 launched Starlink satellites, securing its position as the largest orbital constellation in history. This milestone was reached after 56 more satellites were successfully deployed using two Falcon 9 rockets last Sunday.
