(NewsNation) — Humans could soon be outnumbered by robots at Amazon warehouses.
The e-commerce giant announced Monday that it had deployed its one millionth robot across its facilities — a milestone 13 years in the making.
That figure puts Amazon on the cusp of having more robots than humans in its warehouses, according to The Wall Street Journal, which reported that roughly 75% of the company’s global deliveries are now assisted in some way by robotics.
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The shift toward automation has boosted productivity at the world’s largest online retailer, with same-day deliveries becoming increasingly common, even in rural communities.
Robots have helped Amazon manage high employee turnover at its fulfillment centers by reducing reliance on human labor, but they have also replaced certain jobs. An analysis by the Journal found that the company averaged just 670 employees per facility last year, the lowest figure in 16 years.
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Amazon said Monday that by replacing heavy lifting and repetitive tasks, robots create new opportunities for human workers to develop technical skills. At the company’s new fulfillment center in Shreveport, Louisiana, Amazon says advanced robotics require 30% more employees in reliability, maintenance and engineering roles.
And since 2019, the company says it’s helped “upskill” over 700,000 employees through education and training programs to prepare them for the future.
That future is bound to include even more sophisticated robots.
In May, Amazon unveiled “Vulcan,” its first robot with a sense of touch, capable of picking and stowing about 75% of all types of items stored in fulfillment centers, matching the speed of human workers.
