‘Should change the way our work is done’

Amazon’s CEO has a vision for the future — fewer humans, and more AI agents doing their jobs.

What’s happening?

CBS News reported that Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told employees in a memo that the company plans to lean heavily on generative AI. That means a smaller corporate workforce in the coming years. Amazon is the second-largest private employer in the U.S. and currently employs about 1.5 million people worldwide.

“As we roll out more generative AI and agents, it should change the way our work is done,” Jassy wrote. “We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs.”

These AI “agents” are digital workers. They can handle tasks such as answering customer questions, recommending clothing sizes based on your past orders, or helping you shop through features like “Buy for Me.”

Why is this news concerning?

Amazon said these tools free up workers for creative thinking. 

“Agents will allow us to start almost everything from a more advanced starting point,” Jassy said in the memo. “We’ll be able to focus less on rote work and more on thinking strategically about how to improve customer experiences and invent new ones.”

However, not all employees see it that way. The New York Times reported that Amazon software engineers described a work environment that has become “more routine, less thoughtful, and, crucially, much faster paced.” Some fear losing their jobs as AI expands. For example, when AI takes over office tasks, people risk losing stable paychecks that support families.

It’s not just about jobs. These AI tools require huge data centers that use massive amounts of energy. Amazon’s data centers have contributed to planet-overheating pollution that harms communities, such as those in Virginia and Oregon, where residents have raised concerns about high electricity use and water shortages.

What’s being done about it?

Amazon has made some changes to reduce its pollution. The company introduced electric delivery vans to cut down on dirty fuel emissions. It also promised to phase out plastic air pillows in packaging by the end of this year to reduce plastic waste. However, the company also released over 71 million metric tons of carbon pollution in 2021, according to past sustainability reports.

Experts say consumers can help by supporting companies that choose renewable energy and safer workplace practices. Simple actions matter, too. Using reusable shopping bags and switching off unused devices cuts down electricity demand from data centers like Amazon’s. Educating yourself about greenwashing can also help spot when companies make promises they don’t keep.

Jassy ended his memo by saying Amazon is “investing quite expansively” in AI, adding that “many of these agents have yet to be built, but make no mistake, they’re coming, and coming fast.”

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