Amazon deploys its millionth robot, powered by new AI model "DeepFleet"

Amazon has officially deployed its one millionth robot worker, marking a major milestone in the company’s 13-year journey toward full-scale automation. The announcement came alongside the debut of "DeepFleet", a generative AI model designed to coordinate the movements of Amazon’s vast robot workforce across more than 300 facilities worldwide.

According to Scott Dresser, vice president of Amazon Robotics, the achievement cements Amazon’s position as the world’s largest manufacturer and operator of mobile robotics. The DeepFleet system, he said, is expected to reduce robot travel time by 10%, increasing the speed and efficiency of order fulfillment, and ultimately driving down delivery costs.

“This is about making our operations faster, safer, and smarter,” said Dresser. “With DeepFleet, we’re taking another big step in robotic coordination and warehouse intelligence.”

From lifting shelves to AI coordination

Amazon first introduced robotics into its fulfillment centers in 2012, using them to move inventory shelves. Since then, the robot fleet has evolved significantly, with some models now capable of lifting over 1,200 pounds and others navigating autonomously to retrieve and sort customer orders.

DeepFleet brings another layer of intelligence to that system. Instead of relying on pre-programmed routes or rigid task assignments, Amazon's robots will now collaborate in real-time using AI, dynamically adjusting to traffic, task loads, and workflow priorities. It’s a shift from programmed logistics to AI-orchestrated movement.

Working with humans: For now

While the milestone is being celebrated as a leap forward in operational efficiency, it comes at a time of heightened scrutiny over automation's impact on jobs. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has recently spoken about the company’s aggressive adoption of generative AI and acknowledged that some roles may disappear as machines take on more tasks.

“Fewer people will be doing some of the jobs that the technology actually starts to automate,” Jassy said in a June memo, though he also noted the company continues to hire for roles in AI and robotics.

Still, Amazon is pushing back on concerns that robots will fully replace human workers. In Shreveport, Louisiana, home to one of Amazon’s new fulfillment centers, the company says its automation push has created more jobs, not fewer, particularly in maintenance, reliability, and engineering roles that support the robotic systems.

“Our robots work alongside our employees,” said Dresser. “They’re taking on the heavy lifting and repetitive tasks, giving people a chance to develop more technical skills.”

The bigger picture: AI arms race in logistics

Amazon's announcement comes amid a broader industry trend toward AI-powered physical automation. Tesla is reportedly preparing to deploy its own humanoid robots in factory settings this year, and logistics rivals are racing to bring similar capabilities online.

With its combination of scale, infrastructure, and custom AI models, Amazon may be uniquely positioned to lead this transformation. But the bigger question looms: As machines become more capable, what happens to the millions of people who once did these jobs manually?