Amazon Unveils Warehouse Robotics Amid Automation Leak

Amazon announced new warehouse technologies — Blue Jay, a coordinated multi‑arm robotic sorting system, and Project Eluna, an AI agent to help managers anticipate bottlenecks — which the company says are being piloted to boost safety and productivity across fulfillment and delivery operations. The product announcements came after a New York Times report on internal documents in which Amazon’s robotics team projected it could automate roughly 75% of operations and avoid more than 160,000 U.S. hires by 2027 and about 600,000 by 2033, saving roughly $0.30 per item. Amazon says Blue Jay can handle about 75% of item types and frames the tools as augmenting workers, while also noting the leaked materials reflect one team’s viewpoint and that it plans to hire roughly 250,000 seasonal workers and create technical roles and training. Critics, analysts and AI experts warn the scale of the automation push could displace large numbers of blue‑collar jobs. The company has also discussed language and community outreach strategies to manage potential backlash.