The Big Sip
Image: Amazon
The take: Amazon unveiled AI-powered smart glasses to save delivery drivers 30 minutes per shift on Wednesday. The same week, leaked internal documents revealed the company plans to avoid hiring more than 160,000 US workers by 2027 through automation.
What happened: On 22 October 2025, Amazon introduced the "Amelia" prototype smart glasses featuring AI computer vision and the Blue Jay warehouse robots at a Silicon Valley launch event. Meanwhile, The New York Times published internal strategy documents showing Amazon's robotics team expects to avoid 600,000 hires by 2033.
Why it matters: Every 30-minute efficiency gain, multiplied across thousands of drivers, strengthens the financial case for reducing workforce needs. When the world's second-largest US employer reduces hiring through automation, other warehouse operators follow similar strategies.
What to watch: Q4 2025 holiday hiring numbers to see if Amazon's 250,000 seasonal roles convert to permanent positions, warehouse automation installations at 40 facilities by the end of 2027, and whether competitors like Walmart and UPS accelerate their own automation plans in response.
[Report] TechCrunch covers the Amelia glasses specs, trial details, and automation context. Published 22 Oct 2025
The Amelia glasses feature built-in cameras, heads-up displays, turn-by-turn navigation, and package scanning without requiring phones. The glasses pair with a vest controller that houses swappable batteries and an emergency button. Future versions will detect pets in yards and adapt to low-light conditions.
Beryl Tomay, Amazon's VP of Transportation, said the company is trialing the technology "with more than a dozen delivery service partners and hundreds of drivers nationwide." Simultaneously, leaked documents show Amazon's robotics team aims to automate 75% of operations, avoiding 160,000 US hires by 2027 while saving 30 cents per item.
Amazon's Shreveport facility employs 1,000 robots and requires 25% fewer workers than facilities without automation—a template Amazon plans to replicate in 40 locations by 2027. Spokesperson Kelly Nantel told media the leaked documents "paint an incomplete and misleading picture" and noted Amazon is hiring 250,000 holiday workers, though she didn't specify how many roles become permanent.
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