GeekWire Amazon’s New Frontiers: Robotaxis, Ultrafast Deliveries, and AI Teammates
Dec 6, 2025
Colleen Aubrey, Senior Vice President of Applied AI Solutions at Amazon Web Services, discusses Amazon's innovative ventures. She reveals how AI is becoming central to their applications, positioning AI agents as teammates that enhance productivity. Colleen shares insights on experimenting with agentic tools and the cultural shifts within Amazon to embrace rapid prototyping. She also highlights the enhanced capabilities of Amazon Connect, focusing on improving customer interactions through AI. The conversation dives into the ROI of deploying AI and the value of clear observability in agent behavior.
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Amazon Now Is A Flex-Driver Delivery Hub
- Amazon repurposed a former Amazon Fresh Pickup site into an ultra-fast delivery hub called Amazon Now.
- The facility is designed as a retail-like hub serving Amazon Flex drivers to enable sub-30 minute deliveries.
23-Minute Amazon Now Test Ride
- GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser tested Amazon Now in Seattle and got a delivery in 23 minutes.
- The quick trial echoes past attempts at rapid local delivery like Cosmo.com from the dot-com era.
Old Idea, New Infrastructure
- Rapid local delivery ideas have cycled back since the dot-com era with better infrastructure and e-bike/EV options.
- Amazon's scale and focus on e-bikes and electric vehicles make the model more viable today than earlier startups.
