According to a report by The New York Times citing internal strategic documents and interviews with informed sources, retail giant Amazon is leaning toward an ambitious automation plan aimed at significantly reducing reliance on human labor in the next decade, avoiding hiring more than 500,000 employees in the United States.

Documents show that Amazon's goal is for its robots and automated systems to replace more than 600,000 jobs that would have otherwise required hiring by 2033, despite the company's expectation that product sales will double during the same period.

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Automation Goals and Economic Benefits

It is reported that Amazon's robotics team is working to automate 75% of the company's operations. The documents predict that this plan will result in the elimination of 160,000 jobs in the United States by 2027.

From an economic perspective, the advancement of automation will save Amazon approximately 30 cents per item for its warehousing and delivery to customers. The documents estimate that automation work will save the company up to 12.6 billion dollars during the period from 2025 to 2027.

Public Relations Strategy Revealed: Avoid Using "AI" and "Automation"

The report also pointed out that Amazon has considered measures to enhance its image as a "good corporate citizen" to deal with the wave of layoffs and negative public opinion caused by automation. It is claimed that the company considered participating in community projects and was advised to avoid using sensitive terms such as "automation" and "artificial intelligence."

Instead, it would use more vague terms such as "advanced technology," and refer to robots that work alongside humans as "collaborative robots." However, Amazon told The New York Times that its executives were not instructed to avoid certain terms, and community involvement is unrelated to the automation plan.

Amazon's Response: The Documents Do Not Represent the Overall Strategy

Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement to The Verge that the leaked documents reflect only the views of one team and do not represent the company's "current or future" overall hiring strategy.

Nantel emphasized, "Leaked documents often provide incomplete and misleading descriptions of our plans... We are actively recruiting in our operating centers across the country, and recently announced a plan to hire 250,000 positions for the holiday season."

Nobel Laureate: Amazon May Become a "Net Job Destroyer"

Regarding Amazon's automation ambitions, last year's Nobel Prize winner in Economics Daron Acemoglu expressed concerns to The New York Times. He stated, "No one has as much incentive as Amazon to explore the path of automation. Once they find a profitable way, it will be promoted to other companies as well."

Acemoglu warned that if Amazon achieves its automation goals, "the largest employer in the United States will become a net job destroyer