The Daily Amazon's Robot Takeover
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Nov 3, 2025 
Karen Weise, the Beijing bureau chief for The New York Times, reveals how Amazon plans to automate over half a million jobs in its warehouses. She discusses the technological advancements driving this shift and the urgency stemming from rising costs and AI investments. Weise explains the evolution of Amazon’s workforce, the transformation brought by robotics like Sparrow, and the implications for job markets and communities. As traditional roles shrink, she raises concerns about the future of work amidst this massive automation push.
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Amazon's Ambitious Automation Targets
- Amazon's internal documents show plans to avoid hiring more than half a million workers through robotics automation.
- Their long-term aim is to automate 75% of operations, a shift with broad labor-market implications.
Three-Quarter Automation By 2033
- Amazon believes it can push automation to cover three-quarters of its operations by 2033 with current and expected advances.
- That timeline suggests large-scale change over the next decade if progress continues.
Robotics Investments Finally Clicked
- Years of robotic investment reached a point where different systems began to work together reliably at scale.
- That convergence made large-scale replacement of human roles both technically feasible and economically attractive.