Employees see robotics and AI’s safety and career benefits, MIT study shows

As Amazon’s chief technologist for robotics, what I’m passionate about in our work to design and deploy robotics and AI solutions within our operations is our focus on creating technology that benefits and serves our employees. Our goal is to ensure these systems improve safety and productivity. Technology should be used to help us retain and grow our talent through skill development and reimagining how we make our workplace better, both in productivity and safety. If we do this well, we’re certain to always innovate for our customers.

Thanks to new research led by MIT, we have gained insights from data that points to how we can do this even better. One of the key trends in the data that shows promise is that 60% of employees globally who have interacted with robotics and AI expect positive impacts on their safety, career development, and productivity.

I believe in the power of people and that people matter most when it comes to innovation. Their perceptions shape the success of the technology we build. That’s why it’s critical for us to constantly seek feedback from our employees. We need to understand how robotics and AI impact their daily work and understand their views on how automation will affect their jobs now and in the future.

An image of an employee working with a robotic system in an Amazon fulfillment center

Within our daily operations, we integrate employee feedback in every stage of our technology development. It is important to our design process and we are always curious for more insights and getting outside perspective. That’s why our ongoing collaboration with MIT is so valuable and why we’re excited by the publication of their research on Automation from the Worker’s Perspective.

Their fully independent study, conducted across nine countries, provides a comprehensive look at how employees feel about AI and automation in the workplace and their beliefs about how it impacts their jobs. This global lens helps us think long-term—not just about how technology can benefit employees here in the U.S., but around the world.

Key findings

It comes with no surprise, particularly with the latest advancements in generative AI, that people have concerns about the impact of new technology and how it could change their jobs. These trends speak to a growing need to help better inform people about the career opportunities that AI and robotics offer in an increasingly technology-driven economy. The concerns are natural and have historically been part of any new transformative innovation. People seek change for the right reasons and we aim to not only build a better toolset for people to use but to also put people at the center of the robotics universe.

One of the most compelling findings from the study is that employees who have hands-on experience with robotics are generally more positive about the impact of automation. This insight underscores a fundamental truth: Concerns about automation often stem from the unknown, and as employees gain familiarity with these new tools, they see their benefits.

Some additional insights uncovered in the research point to how companies should:

Build trust and show investment: The study found both to be key predictors that are beneficial for technology adoption and reducing turnover.
Create financial incentives for employees: The study links the productive use of technology to better pay and finds it can build in a positive-sum automation framework by design.
Design jobs of the future: The study found creating more opportunities for problem-solving to keep employees engaged and motivated, as well as to prepare them to think about better uses of technology.
Foster opportunity through upskilling: One of the most striking findings in the study is that only a minority of employees say they are highly motivated by career mobility, but far more say that their employers are not sufficiently focused on learning and mobility.

Upskilling and a human-centered approach

We believe the way forward lies not in choosing between people and technology but in empowering our workforce to grow alongside these advancements. This belief is embodied in our Upskilling Pledge. Since 2020, we’ve committed more than $1.2 billion to train over 300,000 employees, providing them with the skills they need for high-growth jobs. This includes training in robotics, engineering, and other technical roles that are increasingly in demand as our operations evolve.

By upskilling our employees, we ensure that the introduction of automation creates more opportunity, not less. Our investment in training and education helps employees move into new, higher-paying roles. For example, many of our fulfillment centers now require more skilled positions, such as maintenance and robotics engineers—jobs that didn’t exist in these environments a decade ago.

AI has the potential to support and enhance our workforce even further, which is why we are dedicated to making AI accessible to all by training employees on these new technologies. Amazon’s AI Ready pledges to provide free AI skills training to two million people globally by 2025.

Safety and robotics in action

Safety is another critical area where robotics is making a significant difference. In 2024, we allocated $750 million toward improving workplace safety, with a strong emphasis on ergonomics. Robotics helps play an important supporting role in this initiative, with the introduction of systems that reduce the need for employees to perform repetitive or physically strenuous tasks.

An image of three employees in hard hats, one employee is in a vest that reads Amazon Robotics Product and Program

Our ergonomic workstations embedded in Sequoia, our novel inventory management solution, and Proteus, our first autonomous mobile robot, allow employees to refocus their time on efforts that require higher levels of problem-solving, while the robots handle more routine, physically demanding tasks.

Expanding the MIT-Amazon collaboration

Looking ahead, I’m particularly excited about the next phase of our partnership with MIT. In 2025, we will launch a fellowship program where postdoctoral researchers from MIT will work directly with our Fulfillment Technology & Robotics teams. This collaboration aims to identify best practices for scaling automation across our operations, ensuring that as we deploy new systems, we continue to improve the employee experience.

A GIF showing the robotic claw placing a newly made hercules robot onto the facility floor

The timing couldn’t be better. As we introduce a new series of automation technologies in the coming years, this fellowship will provide valuable insights into how we can continue to integrate robotics in ways that enhance workplace safety, create new job opportunities, and improve overall productivity.

The future of work at Amazon is one where people and technology collaborate to build a safer, more productive workplace. With the insights from the MIT research and our ongoing investment in upskilling, I’m confident that we’re on the right path to creating jobs that are not only better but also more fulfilling. Let’s build this future together.