In a memo to staff extolling Amazon’s use of generative AI, CEO Andy Jassy additionally briefly famous that it could result in a discount within the firm’s workforce.
“As we roll out extra Generative AI and brokers, it ought to change the way in which our work is finished. We are going to want fewer individuals doing among the jobs which can be being accomplished right now, and extra individuals doing different sorts of jobs. It’s laborious to know precisely the place this nets out over time, however within the subsequent few years, we anticipate that this may cut back our complete company workforce as we get effectivity positive aspects from utilizing AI extensively throughout the corporate,” Jassy wrote within the July 17 memo.
As of December 2024, Amazon employed about 1,556,000 full-time and part-time staffers.
Regardless of the potential job reductions, the memo additionally inspired staff to get enthusiastic about using AI, telling them to “be interested by AI, educate your self, attend workshops and take trainings, use and experiment with AI at any time when you may, take part in your crew’s brainstorms to determine find out how to invent for our prospects extra shortly and expansively, and find out how to get extra accomplished with scrappier groups.”
Up to now, Amazon has greater than “1,000 Generative AI providers and functions in progress or constructed,” in keeping with the memo. This consists of constructing the following era Alexa private assistant, an Amazon AI procuring assistant, Amazon procuring options, together with a lens that enables buyers to take a photograph of an merchandise and pull it up on the web site, in addition to really helpful measurement, and in AI instruments for advertisers.
“Whereas we’ve made a variety of progress, we’re nonetheless on the relative starting. There are a number of causes we imagine this and wish to go even sooner,” the memo reads.
Jassy went on to say that “AI brokers will change how all of us work and dwell,” and that there “will likely be billions of those brokers, throughout each firm and in each possible area.” At Amazon, this may change the velocity at which the corporate works and push the corporate to create new instruments, he mentioned.
“Those that embrace this variation, turn out to be accustomed to AI, assist us construct and enhance our AI capabilities internally and ship for purchasers, will likely be well-positioned to have excessive influence and assist us reinvent the corporate,” the memo reads.