Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) is set to revolutionise its warehouse operations with the introduction of Sequoia, a new artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics system designed to expedite delivery and inventory management.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the technology overhaul will feature AI-equipped sortation machines and robotic arms, transforming how products move through Amazon's fulfilment centres and potentially altering the roles of its workforce.
Sequoia aims to achieve both speed and safety, allowing human workers to collaborate with machines in a manner that minimises injuries, the WSJ report said.
While Amazon remains tight-lipped about the system's impact on employment numbers, it emphasises that automation is not a means to cut jobs, the paper added.
David Guerin, Amazon's director of robotic storage technology, stated that Sequoia could reduce order fulfilment times by up to 25% and accelerate inventory identification by as much as 75%.
Pre-market, Amazon stock was off 0.5% at $130.80.