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It is a myth that robots and other new technologies will take away jobs, a top Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) executive told CNBC, insisting that innovation helps its employees instead.
The use of new technologies has created more than 700 new job categories and enhanced over 50,000 jobs across Amazon’s (AMZN) fulfillment centers in Europe, according to Stefano La Rovere, the company’s director of global robotics, mechatronics, and sustainable packaging.
He noted that robots and tech help employees by reducing walking distance, taking away repetitive motion and helping them lift heavy weights. Employees can also learn new skills through the use of tech.
“Over five years to the end of 2024, we will have invested over €700M ($747.8M) in the deployment of more than 1,000 robotics and AI-powered innovations across our European fulfillment center network,” La Rovere said, adding that 120 new pieces of automation tech will be introduced across the network this year.
The statements come as Amazon (AMZN) is increasingly investing in new technologies, most recently spending another $2.75B in backing AI startup Anthropic.
But not all of Amazon’s (AMZN) efforts have been successful. The company had to walk away from its proposed deal to acquire Roomba maker iRobot due to antitrust concerns.
Amazon (AMZN) CEO Andy Jassy called it a “really sad story,” taking aim at regulators that have been increasingly blocking tech deals. To note, the e-commerce giant is facing an ongoing lawsuit by the FTC.