Amazon’s 1 Million Robots: How AI Arms Are Reshaping Warehouse Work and Safety
Amazon operates over 1 million robots in its warehouses, a fleet it plans to expand significantly through new manufacturing facilities in Texas and Indiana. While the company argues that robotic arms like Vulcan and Cardinal reduce physical strain by handling heavy or high-reach tasks, critics and researchers highlight that automation often increases the pace of work, leading to higher rates of repetitive motion injuries. The integration of AI foundation models allows robots to handle millions of product variations, but the tension between efficiency and human safety remains a central debate in the logistics sector.