One Million Robots Later: Is Amazon Still a Place for Humans?

• As of mid-2025, Amazon has surpassed one million warehouse robots in operation — a milestone that matches nearly its entire logistics workforce.
• With this shift, employment models in retail are rapidly changing, sparking debate over what is gained and what may be lost.

Amazon is passing through a decade of rising in the ranks of online retail and automation. From 2012, incorporating Kiva Systems, a robotics company, has acted as a central transformation toolkit for the current global workforce restructuring.

By July 2025, there will be more than 1 million robots in fulfilment centres from Amazon, working with about  1.56 million employees around the globe, with most involved in operations and fulfilment. The huge dimension of robotics association is an indication that they currently undertake the bulk of fulfilment physical tasks like moving inventory pods, sorting, and packaging.

This shift is not only about speeding up operations. It reveals a fundamental change in how global retailers approach labour, productivity, and technological investment.

A New Kind of Workforce

Historically, the Amazon warehouse was a high-tech ecosystem where robots such as Pegasus, Proteus, and Sequoia would assist in operational flow. Titan moves heavy inventory pods; Pegasus and Xanthus handle packages on conveyors; Proteus gently roams through warehouses; and Sequoia, through computer vision and AI, works for enhanced item identification and flowing inventory.

The humanoid robot Digit is now being tested for trailer unloading and mobile tasks, walking, crouching, and gripping packages. The developments aim to reduce human involvement in repetitive or physically demanding endeavours. 

As for the cost of robot systems, Amazon hasn’t really declared it, but, judging from internal investments, it surely entails significant capital on each deployment. The return is calculated through higher throughput and reduced ongoing labour costs.

What This Means for Jobs

While Amazon continues to describe its robots as collaborative tools, its hiring pace in logistics roles has slowed compared to the expansion of its robot fleet. According to company statements and third-party analyses, the workforce mix is gradually shifting.

Fulfilment centre staff have shared accounts of changing job scopes, such as standing by automated packing stations and overseeing machine cycles. These anecdotal shifts are echoed across high-automation sites.

Market researchers and analysts have noted a broader trend: demand for low-skill warehouse jobs is stabilising, while job listings for roles in robotics support and automation engineering are increasing.

A study by Oxford Economics from 2019, still frequently cited in 2025 discussions, estimates that up to 20 million manufacturing jobs globally could be lost to automation by 2030. Europe is expected to account for a sizeable share, with logistics among the most impacted sectors.

Opportunities Within Automation

Amazon emphasises safety and upskilling as major benefits of automation. Internal reports show reduced workplace incidents in facilities with higher robotic activity. The company has committed significant resources to retraining and apprenticeship programmes.

According to Amazon, over 700,000 employees have completed training in technical roles since 2019. These include robotics maintenance, software operations, and logistics analysis.

These positions often come with higher pay and lower physical strain. Still, they represent a smaller share of the workforce compared to the displaced manual roles and require more advanced education or reskilling.

Wider Industry Trends

Amazon’s automation push aligns with broader retail logistics developments. Ocado in the UK continues to deploy its grid-based automation systems. Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and other chains are testing AI-powered inventory tools and shelf-scanning robots.

In the US, Walmart and Target are scaling autonomous restocking and fulfilment systems. New logistics parks in Europe and Asia are being designed for full or near-full automation from the outset.

This adoption trend points toward a more permanent restructuring of warehouse labour worldwide.

What Are the Costs?

As automation accelerates, demand for temporary and seasonal warehouse roles has decreased. While Amazon does not publish detailed figures on seasonal staffing trends, industry observers note a shift towards using machines to absorb demand spikes during holidays.

Employee advocates and labour organisations report growing concerns over job satisfaction in highly automated settings. Some workers describe roles centred more on machine monitoring than human interaction, leading to a sense of disconnection.

Looking Ahead

Many industry analysts project that warehouse automation will exceed 75% at leading global firms by 2030. Amazon’s internal targets and technology investments suggest it may reach that threshold even sooner.

This would redefine job roles, favouring technical and oversight positions over traditional fulfilment duties.

While these transitions bring potential for safer, more analytical work, they also raise regional disparities. Some communities may face job losses without a matching growth in high-skill employment opportunities.

Governments in the UK and EU are currently evaluating responses, with discussions focusing on worker training, educational investment, and policy frameworks for equitable automation.

The Role of Consumers

While not directly involved in workplace changes, consumers indirectly shape outcomes. Prioritising speed and price often incentivises automation. Yet recent surveys show a segment of shoppers in the UK values ethical labour practices.

In a variety of polls, a majority of respondents say they prefer companies that maintain fair employment standards, though the strength of this preference in actual buying behaviour remains under scrutiny.

Final Thoughts

Amazon’s deployment of over one million robots in its logistics operations marks a turning point in the retail labour landscape. While it drives productivity and offers new technical careers, it also accelerates the decline of routine manual roles.

The next phase of this transformation will test how well companies, governments, and societies manage the human impact. As more jobs become automated, the challenge will lie in ensuring that people remain central to the future of work.

Innovation alone doesn’t guarantee inclusive progress. Balance and foresight will be key.