Amazon has introduced Blue Jay, a robot designed to assist employees by handling tasks that require reaching and lifting. Alongside it, the company has unveiled Project Eluna, an AI system likened to an additional teammate that eases the cognitive burden of workers while optimizing sorting to minimize bottlenecks.

With the capability to move 75% of the items stored by Amazon, Blue Jay is poised to become an integral part of the company’s Same-Day delivery operations. Developed in just over a year, Blue Jay leverages AI, digital twins, and data from existing robots. This innovative system coordinates multiple robotic arms to perform various tasks simultaneously, transforming what used to be three separate stations into a single, efficient workspace capable of picking, stowing, and consolidating items.

Tye Brady, Amazon Robotics’ chief technologist, emphasizes in a company blog post that the focus isn’t solely on robots but rather on people and the collaborative future of work. The post also highlights Amazon’s significant job creation in the U.S. over the past decade and its plans to hire 250,000 workers for the upcoming holiday season.

In a June letter to employees, CEO Andy Jassy addressed the role of generative AI in improving efficiency. He noted that while some current jobs may become less necessary, new types of roles will emerge. Although the exact outcome remains uncertain, Jassy anticipates a reduction in Amazon’s corporate workforce as AI-driven efficiency gains take hold.

A report from the Times aligns with this vision for robotics and automation, highlighting Jassy’s efforts to decrease e-commerce costs. The report illustrates how warehouse transformations are allowing facilities to handle more items with fewer staff, who will increasingly focus on maintaining and overseeing the robots.