Communications of the ACM
Amazon Robots Boost Efficiency — and Open New Job Possibilities
An Amazon employee picks items from one of the more than 15,000 Kiva robots used at the company's fulfillment centers.
Credit: Business Wire
Online retailer Amazon.com is using 15,000 robots to speed up the handling of orders in its warehouses — sparking criticism from some labor proponents and cynicism about the robotic technology employed. Ross Knepper, robotics expert and assistant professor in Cornell University's Department of Computer Science, says that the robots at Amazon will increase efficiency — and actually open the possibilities for more jobs.
"I am often asked about the threat of robots taking away jobs. In my experience, robots do not so much take away jobs — but instead shift them from one role to another," Knepper says.
"Amazon's Kiva robots fetch products, but human workers still stuff the packages," Knepper says. "Thanks to the robots' efficiency, Amazon is stuffing more boxes per hour, which means more workers grabbing products and packing them in boxes.
"Amazon must employ a fleet of technicians to keep 15,000 robots running," he says. "And any transformative technology like Kiva opens up more possibilities for new jobs in the future. According to the International Federation of Robotics, robots in industry will create one million new jobs by 2016.
"By letting robots do the dirty, dangerous, and dull tasks, humans are left with the jobs better suited to our talents at handling complex, uncertain situations such as fixing problems or resolving failures that may occur during routine robot operation."
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