Amazon is reportedly planning to use robotics and automation to avoid hiring hundreds of thousands of workers, according to leaked internal documents and interviews cited by The New York Times. The company, the nation’s second-largest employer with a U.S. workforce of about 1.2 million, is shifting its strategy after years of rapid hiring in warehouses and delivery operations. The automation initiative aims to reduce the need for new hires significantly. By 2027, Amazon’s robotics team estimates it could avoid hiring more than 160,000 U.S. workers—saving roughly 30 cents per item packed and delivered. Over time, executives told the company’s board, automation could allow Amazon to maintain its current U.S. workforce even as sales are projected to double by 2033, potentially avoiding the need to hire over 600,000 new employees. Internal documents reveal that Amazon’s long-term goal is to automate 75% of its operations. The company already operates a fleet of about one million robots globally, with the Shreveport, Louisiana, facility serving as a model for future robotic fulfillment centers. That site uses roughly a thousand robots and enables the company to operate with about 25% fewer workers than a traditional warehouse. Amazon plans to replicate the Shreveport design in approximately 40 facilities by the end of 2027, starting with a new center in Virginia Beach, Virginia, which opened in April. When the Virginia Beach project was announced in 2023, Governor Glenn Youngkin stated it would bring around 1,000 full-time jobs to the region. Despite these plans, Amazon has pushed back on the narrative that automation will lead to widespread job losses. Kelly Nantel, a company spokesperson, told Gizmodo that the leaked documents reflect only one team’s perspective and do not represent Amazon’s overall hiring strategy. She emphasized that the company still plans to hire 250,000 people for the upcoming holiday season and denied that employees are being instructed to avoid terms like “automation” or “AI.” Instead, the company prefers phrases such as “advanced technology” and “cobot” in some contexts. Amazon also noted that its community outreach—such as participation in parades and toy drives—is not linked to its automation plans. Udit Madan, Amazon’s head of worldwide operations, pointed to the company’s history of reinvesting savings from automation into new roles, including the creation of additional delivery hubs in rural areas. While automation is already underway, the full impact remains to be seen. The company’s move could set a precedent for other major employers like Walmart and UPS, which may follow suit in response to the growing role of robotics in logistics and e-commerce.