(NewsNation) — Amazon is hoping robots can help it avoid hiring more than half a million U.S. workers, according to The New York Times.
The e-commerce giant’s automation team projects the company won’t have to hire over 160,000 U.S. workers it would otherwise need by 2027, the Times reported, citing interviews and internal strategy documents. The shift would reportedly save Amazon roughly 30 cents on every item it picks, packs and delivers.
By 2033, automation could eliminate the need for more than 600,000 additional hires, even as the company expects to sell twice as many products, the Times said.
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The leaked documents reportedly show Amazon’s robotics team aims to automate 75% of the company’s operations, and the online retailer has already begun preparing PR strategies to manage potential backlash.
Internal documents indicate the company has considered refining its image as a “good corporate citizen” by supporting community events such as parades and Toys for Tots, according to the Times. They also suggest avoiding terms like “automation” and “AI” in favor of softer phrases such as “advanced technology.”
Amazon told NewsNation that the leaked documents paint an “incomplete” and “misleading picture” of the company’s plans.
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“The materials appear to reflect the perspective of just one team and don’t represent our overall hiring strategy across our various operations business lines — now or moving forward,” Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, said in a statement.
Nantel said Amazon has created more jobs in America over the past decade than any other company and noted that it recently announced plans to fill 250,000 positions for the holiday season.
Still, the e-commerce giant hasn’t been shy about its automation push.
In June, Amazon said it had deployed its one millionth robot across its facilities — a milestone 13 years in the making. CEO Andy Jassy has also said he expects AI to reduce the company’s “total corporate workforce” in the coming years due to tech “efficiency gains.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders responded to the Times report Wednesday, writing in a post on X that “Big Tech oligarchs are coming for your job.”
Earlier this month, Sanders released a report warning that AI and automation could wipe out nearly 100 million U.S. jobs over the next decade.
Other research suggests the AI job apocalypse hasn’t arrived yet. A recent study from researchers at the Yale University Budget Lab and the Brookings Institution concluded that generative AI hasn’t dramatically altered employment since ChatGPT’s release in November 2022.
