Amazon cutting 16,000 jobs as it ramps up AI push

Amazon is axing 16,000 jobs as it ramps up a push to use AI in the workplace.

“The reductions we are making today will impact approximately 16,000 roles across Amazon, and we’re again working hard to support everyone whose role is impacted,” said Beth Galetti, Amazon’s senior vice president of people experience and technology, in a Wednesday message to employees.

“That starts with offering most US-based employees 90 days to look for a new role internally (timing will vary internationally based on local and country level requirements),” she added.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in June he expected the company’s workforce to shrink in the coming years as it uses more AI. Jassy laid out how Amazon was launching more generative AI and agents for internal operations, saying the employment of the tools should “change the way our work is done.”

“We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs,” Jassy told employees at the time.

“It’s hard to know exactly where this nets out over time, but in the next few years, we expect that this will reduce our total corporate workforce as we get efficiency gains from using AI extensively across the company.”

Wednesday’s announcement comes after Amazon said in October that it would eliminate another about 14,000 jobs.