Amazon unveiled major announcements in delivery, shopping, robotics, AI, and sustainability as we build on our commitment to enhance both the customer and employee experience.
These advancements, along with the launch of a faster and more efficient fulfillment center, are among the big plans to provide customers with more choices and speedier deliveries. Sustainability remains a key focus of Amazon’s journey as well, and we’ve continued to make huge strides as we've removed plastic air pillows from our delivery packaging and invested in companies that share our commitment to building a world with net-zero carbon emissions.
Innovations in robotics and AI will also have a lasting positive impact on employee productivity, safety, and career advancement. A joint study by Amazon and MIT also found that 60% of American workers share this sentiment and believe robotics and AI will enhance operational efficiency and worker well-being.
Amazon and MIT will also launch a fellowship program 2025 where postdoctoral researchers from MIT will work directly with Amazon’s Fulfillment Technology & Robotics team to identify best practices on scaling automation within our operations in ways that enhance our workplace.
"Given the AI transformation we are going through, the breadth of innovation across our teams at Amazon has never been broader," said Doug Herrington, CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores. "As a builder, I still feel like Amazon is a giant startup factory. As an owner, I feel good about our capabilities—our mechanisms and culture are well-suited for this technological change. As a customer, given the evolution that we’ve gone through over the last 20 years, I’m in awe of what Amazon is going to look like with another 20 years of innovation and transformation."
Here are seven major announcements that highlight Amazon's obsession with innovation on behalf of customers and the planet.
1. Launch of next-generation fulfillment center with robotics and AI
Amazon unveiled its most exciting and innovative fulfillment center yet. Located in Shreveport, Louisiana, this delivery station employs a vast array of Amazon’s latest robots, including Proteus—the first fully autonomous mobile robot—which will help employees ship packages more efficiently.
This state-of-the-art operation represents Amazon's vision for collaborative technology that assists employees and improves safety and sustainability while expediting delivery speed. Shreveport is a milestone paving the way for how AI and robotics will transform the future of logistics.
2. AI-powered package spotlight system for delivery drivers
Vision-Assisted Package Retrieval (VAPR), an AI-powered solution that automatically identifies the right packages for drivers at each stop, will be rolled out in 1,000 electric vans by Rivian in early 2025. VAPR projects green and red lights onto packages at each stop, removing the need for drivers to manually sort them in the back of their vans.
Based on early tests, we saw a 67% reduction in perceived physical and mental effort for drivers and more than 30 minutes saved per route.
3. Removed all plastic air pillows from delivery packaging
Amazon continues to reduce packaging while making the materials we use easier to recycle. As of October 2024, we’ve removed all plastic air pillows from our delivery packaging used at our global fulfillment centers. We’ve also retrofitted more than 120 of our automated packing machines that made plastic bags to now create made-to-fit paper bags across the U.S.
We implemented this in more than 20 fulfillment centers, helping us avoid more than 130 million plastic bags this year. We’re also proud to share that since 2015, we’ve reduced the average per-shipment packaging weight by 43% and avoided a total of more than 3 million metric tons of packaging.
4. New investments by Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund
Since its inception in 2020 with $2 billion in funding from Amazon, the Climate Pledge Fund has invested in more than 31 companies that create products, services, and technologies to protect the planet. The fund has announced three new investments in startups as part of a shared goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
This year's recipients include: Molg, which deploys robots that can autonomously assemble and disassemble complex electronic products and reduce electronic waste; Paebbl, which turns CO2 into carbo-storing building materials; and 14Trees, which developed 3D printing technology that accelerates the production and delivery of lower-carbon buildings in the U.S. and Europe.
5. AI-powered shopping tools in Amazon app
Shoppers can save time and energy shopping products with Amazon’s new AI Shopping Guides available in the Amazon Shopping app and mobile website. They can help reduce the time you spend researching before you buy by proactively consolidating key information you need with Amazon's wide selection, making it easier to find the right product for your needs.
Each guide provides tailored content to help you learn about different product types, understand key features and terminology, and identify top brands and customer favorites.
6. New ways to order groceries with Amazon
Amazon is mixing and matching our offerings in innovative ways to make it easier for customers to shop across our online and physical stores while getting the best value for their money. We’re running a trial that lets customers shop for groceries alongside everyday items and have them delivered together in hours.
We’re also modifying some Amazon Fresh fulfillment centers to offer a wide range of products from Whole Foods Market, Amazon Fresh, and Amazon.com in a single online order. And we’re eliminating the need for extra shopping trips by building our first automated micro fulfillment center, so Whole Foods Market customers can pick up, have delivered, or even order in-store and grab when they check out popular essentials from Amazon.com and favorites from Amazon Fresh.
7. Expanded Amazon Pharmacy Same-Day Delivery services
Amazon Pharmacy will open pharmacies in 20 new U.S. cities in 2025, expanding Same-Day Delivery of medications to nearly half the U.S. The new pharmacies will be embedded within Amazon's Same-Day Delivery sites to enable rapid medication delivery directly to customers' homes, often within hours. We’re leveraging our logistics network, automation, and AI to provide a convenient, affordable pharmacy experience.
Customers get 24/7 pharmacist access, upfront pricing, and many ways to save. The expansion allows Amazon Pharmacy to quickly scale, expanding access to medications and pharmacist care. Amazon is pairing modern technology with high-touch clinical care to deliver a better pharmacy experience.
