Amazon's Robot Revolution Could Create 600,000 Jobs. Company Responds to Accusations

Amazon hopes that robots will replace a significant portion of tasks currently performed by humans. According to the documents, Amazon's robotics team is working to automate up to 75% of all operations, which could reduce the need for 160,000 full-time jobs in the US by 2027.

These changes could save the company about 30 cents on each product it stocks and delivers to customers. Total savings from automation between 2025 and 2027 are estimated at $12.6 billion .

Amazon: This is an incomplete and misleading picture of our plans

According to The New York Times, Amazon is bracing for a wave of criticism over its plans. The company is reportedly considering measures to improve its image as a socially responsible company .

Instead of using terms like "automation" or "artificial intelligence," the documents suggested using neutral terms like "advanced technology" or "cobot" to refer to robots that work collaboratively with humans.

Amazon spokeswoman Kelly Nantel emphasized in a statement to The Verge that the leaked materials "reflect the perspective of one team" and do not represent the company's current strategy .

"Disclosed documents often present an incomplete and misleading picture of our plans – and this is the case here. Thousands of documents circulate within our company, varying in their accuracy and timeliness," Nantel said.

She added that Amazon is actively recruiting nationwide and recently announced plans to hire 250,000 people for the holiday season . The company also denied that management had received instructions to avoid specific robotics-related terms.

Other companies will quickly follow the American giant's lead.

Nobel Prize-winning economist Daron Acemoglu told The New York Times that if Amazon achieves its automation goals, it could become "a job destroyer, not a job creator." If successful, these solutions could quickly spread to other companies.