Hajra Naz
In the tech industry, there’s a growing debate about how human workers will fit into an AI-powered future. On one side, some believe machines will take over almost every job except perhaps their own. (Investor Marc Andreessen, for example, doesn’t seem to think his role could ever be automated.)
Others are more optimistic, suggesting that AI will handle the repetitive, physically demanding tasks, freeing humans to take on newer, more meaningful roles. This second view is backed by history. According to the World Economic Forum, while 92 million jobs may be displaced by current tech trends, around 170 million new ones could be created in return.
But what does that mean for workers in lower-wage, lower-skill roles, like warehouse employees, who may not have the means or interest to get advanced degrees in AI?
Amazon offered a small preview of what this might look like when it introduced a new warehouse robot called Vulcan. This robot is designed to handle physically taxing tasks, like reaching the highest and lowest shelves, so human workers won’t need to do as much bending or climbing. In a post on X, CEO Andy Jassy highlighted that Vulcan is helping make work safer and opening doors for workers to develop new skills in robotics maintenance.
Amazon says that as it brings more automation into its warehouses, it’s also retraining some workers to take on more technical roles, such as
- Robotic floor monitors
- Maintenance engineers.
These new roles, which now support over 75% of Amazon’s order fulfillment, didn’t exist a few years ago.
Of course, retraining programs won’t convert every warehouse worker into a robot tech. Not everyone will be interested or suited for those roles, and automation means fewer people are needed overall.
Still, the fact that Amazon is pairing its tech rollout with training is noteworthy. It offers a rare look at what the transition could look like for workers as automation grows. For now, most companies haven’t been transparent about their long-term workforce plans in a post-AI world.
Some experts have even suggested that in a fully automated economy, people might rely on government welfare. But perhaps a more realistic future involves human roles evolving alongside machines. Just like store clerks now supervise self-checkout lanes, future jobs could include overseeing automated systems or managing robotics tools.
And there’s still a big chance that a fully robotic world won’t arrive anytime soon. These advanced bots may remain limited to the biggest players, like Amazon or car manufacturers, while everyday restaurants, stores, and delivery services continue to rely on human labor for decades.
Amazon itself has tried to push futuristic tech like its cashier-less Amazon Go stores to others in the industry, with little success. Retailers weren’t eager to adopt it, and it turned out that the tech still depended on humans overseas to review the footage. Even Amazon has dialed back on its use.
So while automation is advancing fast, the human role in the workplace isn’t disappearing; it’s just changing. And how companies choose to support that change will shape the future of work for everyone.
