Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) CEO Andy Jassy warned employees that the company's growing use of artificial intelligence will lead to a reduction in its corporate workforce, according to a note shared internally and obtained by media.
In the memo, Jassy said that generative AI is transforming customer experiences across Amazon and that the company is ramping up its investment in the technology, which is expected to bring significant efficiency gains.
“We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs,” Jassy wrote. “In the next few years, we expect that this will reduce our total corporate workforce.”
The comments sparked pushback from employees, according to Business Insider, which cited internal Slack messages. One employee criticized the focus on cost-cutting at the expense of customer experience, warning it could be “dangerous” and lead to “real consequences.” Another called Jassy’s statement “the antithesis of Think Big,” referencing one of Amazon’s key leadership principles.
Amazon has laid off roughly 27,000 workers since 2022 as part of broader cost-cutting efforts across the tech sector. Jassy’s latest remarks signal that AI-driven automation could further reshape Amazon’s corporate structure.
The company is currently developing over 1,000 generative AI services and applications, according to Jassy, who described the technology as a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity that is “rapidly becoming reality.”
Despite the controversy, Jassy encouraged employees to embrace AI by participating in training sessions and brainstorming new ways to improve productivity and customer service.