Amazon could soon be the world’s biggest employer… of robots 🤖

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mazon is gearing up for one of the largest automation pushes in corporate history. According to internal strategy documents obtained by The New York Times, the e-commerce giant plans to ramp up robot deployment across its warehouses — a move that could eliminate the need for over 600,000 U.S. hires by 2033.

The company expects to double its sales volume over that period, but without scaling its human workforce at the same rate. Instead, it’s betting that robots can take over much of its logistics operations.

160,000 jobs “avoided” by 2027 📉

For more than two decades, Amazon has shaped the American labor market, relying on hundreds of thousands of warehouse employees and an army of contract delivery drivers. Now, according to The New York Times, the company’s robotics division aims to automate up to 75% of Amazon’s total operations.

By 2027 alone, roughly 160,000 positions that would normally have been created could simply never exist.

Next-generation warehouses like the one in Shreveport, Louisiana, are already serving as test cases. In this high-tech facility, around 1,000 robots are already in operation, and the human headcount was reduced by 25% in the first year. The long-term goal is to cut human staffing in half.

Amazon plans to replicate this model in about 40 additional warehouses by the end of 2027. Even in older facilities, like Stone Mountain near Atlanta, the company expects to gradually eliminate around 1,200 jobs through natural attrition — meaning positions won’t be replaced when workers leave.

Financially, the plan could save Amazon an estimated $12.6 billion between 2025 and 2027, reducing the cost per shipped item by roughly 30 cents.

Amazon already operates more than a million robots across its global logistics network. It’s now testing bipedal machines like Digit, developed by Agility Robotics — robots designed to move through the same environments as human workers.

Amazon responds 🛑

When reached for comment by The Verge, spokesperson Kelly Nantel downplayed the leaked report. She said the documents “do not represent Amazon’s overall hiring strategy — now or in the future,” adding that the company is still hiring aggressively, with plans to add 250,000 seasonal workers for the holiday rush.

According to The Verge, Amazon has also discussed avoiding terms like “automation” or “AI” in public communications, opting instead for softer language such as “advanced technology” or “cobots” (collaborative robots) to minimize public anxiety.

A historic shift for the labor market ⚠️

Economists warn that if Amazon successfully automates at scale, it could transition from a net job creator to a net job eliminator — a dramatic shift for a company long viewed as a driver of employment.

“No one has a greater incentive to automate this sector than Amazon,” said economist Daron Acemoglu in an interview with The Verge. “Once they find a cost-effective way to do it, others will follow.”

The broader logistics industry could soon face a post-human tipping point — the only questions are when it happens, and what the social cost will be.

👉🏾 Do you think this transition is inevitable — or should we hit pause before it’s too late? Tell us what you think in the comments. 😕