The milestone: Amazon recently deployed its 1 millionth robot in its fulfillment centers—a figure approaching the number of human workers at those facilities.

• The retailer’s diverse robotic fleet includes Hercules, which can lift and transport up to 1,250 pounds of inventory; Pegasus, which uses precision conveyor belts to handle individual packages; and Proteus, a fully autonomous mobile robot that safely navigates open areas alongside employees while moving heavy carts loaded with orders.
• To manage that growing fleet, Amazon launched a genAI model called DeepFleet, which serves as a traffic management system that coordinates robot movement across its fulfillment network. The technology improved the travel time of Amazon’s robotic fleet by 10%.

Why it matters: Expanding automation helps Amazon deliver packages faster and at lower cost, while easing pressure from chronic labor issues like high fulfillment center turnover.

• Roughly 3 in 4 Amazon global deliveries are currently assisted in some way by robotics, per The Wall Street Journal.
• The retailer attributes increasingly fast delivery speeds as a key factor behind the growth of Amazon’s everyday essentials category. In Q1, everyday essentials, which includes items like toothpaste and toilet paper, grew more than twice as fast as the rest of the business, making up roughly one-third of US unit sales.

The vision: Greater automation is part of CEO Andy Jassy’s broader strategy to lean on technology—especially generative AI—to increase efficiency.

• He recently noted that genAI will allow the company to reduce headcount for tasks computers can handle.
• While some jobs will be phased out, others are evolving. At fulfillment centers, many workers have transitioned from repetitive manual labor to more skilled roles managing machines.

Our take: Automation is a central element within Amazon’s relentless push to narrow the gap between click and doorstep. Fast delivery isn’t just about convenience; it transforms how consumers shop. The faster Amazon gets everyday essentials like toothpaste into customers’ hands—especially with free delivery for Prime members—the harder it becomes for other retailers to compete. That gives Amazon a durable edge as it looks to expand its share of US ecommerce sales.