Amazon adds new AI-infused package-grabbing robots to its roster. growing army Soulless, metal warehouse workers.
At Amazon’s Delivering The Future conference this week near Boston, the company announced Sparrow. Sparrow is his AI-assisted robotic arm, whose creators say uses computer vision to identify and move “millions” of objects. Sparrow, CNBC Note, work in Amazon’s warehouses and move products before packing. My main work so far has been overworkWhen constantly monitored Human Amazon workers.and press releaseaccording to Amazon, Sparrow is “the first robotic system in a warehouse that can detect, select, and process individual products in inventory.”
Amazon doesn’t want people to think too much about the number of workers who could lose their jobs because of Sparrow.Amazon said Sparrow is primarily engaged in “repetitive work”. This, in theory, frees up workers to focus on other, more fulfilling tasks, reducing injuries at work. PressIn his release, Amazon claimed that years of designing and deploying robotic technology were indeed successful. Created 700 occupations within the company. In addition, Amazon provides employees with 12-A week-long classroom apprenticeship program called Amazon Mechatronics and Robotics Apprentice, can be trained to develop new skills in robot maintenance and other areas. A good idea, but retraining programs in both the private and public sectors, far from perfect.
“Robotics technology allows us to work smarter, not harder, to operate efficiently and safely,” Amazon said.
Anything Amazon can do, including new robotics initiatives to reduce the risk of injuries in warehouses, means Amazon wins.a study of Amazon’s safety data A study released last year by the Strategic Organizing Center found that Amazon’s warehouses have a staggering 80% more injuries than other warehouses in the industry.The study found that the stark disparity was primarily in the Amazon notoriously ruthless Commitment to speed and efficiency.In some cases, that ferocious quest for maximum output is clearly coercion Some workers resort to peeing in water bottles to avoid mooring for toilet breaks.
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However, simply adding more efficient robots to the mix does not guarantee a solution.In fact, there is evidence to suggest that these robots can create situations worse. Investigation It was implemented A 2020 by Reveal of The Center for Investigative Reporting found that facilities with more robots had higher rates of workplace injuries. While that may seem counterintuitive, the report argues that the additional layer of efficiency introduced by robots has led to increased productivity allocations for workers at facilities. Rather than reportedly picking up slack, the robot Amazon encouraged its employees to be tougher and in some cases push them to their physical breaking point.
“If you have robots that are moving products faster, and workers have to pick and move those products faster, there will be more injuries,” said Cass, a medical officer with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Leanne Fagan said in an interview with Reveal.
