within the retail industry that robots are taking over human jobs, a uniquely 21st-century phenomenon that has been dubbed “FOBO”, the fear of obsolescence.  “Perception really matters when it comes to innovation,” Tye Brady, chief technologist of Amazon Robotics, said at Amazon’s Delivering the Future 2024 event. An independent study conducted by MIT, “Automation from the Worker’s Perspective”, analyzed the sentiment of workers across nine countries – and the findings confirmed that people need to be further informed about the career opportunities that robotics offers. “One of the most striking findings in the study is that only a minority of employees say they are highly motivated by career mobility, but far more say that their employers are not sufficiently focused on learning and mobility,” said Brady. “Since 2020, we’ve committed more than US$1.2 billion to train over 300,000 employees, providing them with the skills they need for high-growth jobs,” he added. Part of this ‘Upskilling Pledge’ by Amazon includes training in robotics, engineering, and other technical roles that are increasingly in demand as its operations evolve. Since 1994, Amazon has scaled from an online bookstore to the world’s largest online retailer and marketplace, largely due to its dedication to and continued investment in innovation.  Doug Herrington, CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores, said at the Delivering the Future event that the company’s “two big focus points have been improving delivery speed and reducing cost to serve, and both are important because they improve the customer experience and they drive growth.” This requires Amazon to, once again, reimagine its operational logistics with next-generation fulfillment centers where robots work alongside humans. According to demographer Bernard Salt, integrating automation and robotics into the workforce has three distinct positive impacts: workforce expansion, higher-valued jobs and workplace safety. “Through the reduction of monotonous, repetitive or boring tasks, automation and robotics are also improving job safety, minimizing workplace hazards, contributing to a healthier workforce overall,” said Salt.  Fostering new talent  For Amazon Robotics’ principal tech program manager Mikell Taylor, the fact that Amazon’s fleet of industrial robots is specifically designed to solve problems for customers and improve the experience of employees is key. “Technology should be used to help us retain and grow our talent through skill development and reimagine how we make our workplace better, both in productivity and safety,” said Taylor. Contrary to the FOBO-led narrative that robots will replace humans, Amazon has created 700 new categories of jobs globally since introducing robotics to its fulfillment centers. “One of the key trends in the (MIT) data that shows promise is that 60 per cent of employees globally who have interacted with robotics and AI expect positive impacts on their safety, career development, and productivity,” said Brady. Not only is the inclusion of robotics seeing Amazon’s workforce expand, but it’s also assisting workers to move into more skilled and higher-value positions. “The more you learn about a new technology and the more you’re exposed to it the less likely you are to be anxious about it or fearful of it,” Ben Armstrong, executive director and a research scientist at MIT’s Industrial Performance Center, told Inside Retail. There were four primary lessons for employers, including Amazon, to take away from the global MIT survey: Employees who like their jobs are more likely to embrace new technologies and automation. Employees who see tangible benefits from automation also feel more secure about its impact. Employers can potentially design jobs in which workers are more supportive or more resistant to new technologies. Exposure to new technologies might also help employers identify new advocates for technology.  “We believe the way forward lies not in choosing between people and technology but in empowering our workforce to grow alongside these advancements,” stated Brady. Adaptability will be a necessity for the future retail workforce both inside and outside of Amazon as the world continues to embrace AI technology. “The future of work at Amazon is one where people and technology collaborate to build a safer, more productive workplace,” concluded Brady.