Amazon’s ‘Just Walk Out’ technology, which debuted in Amazon Fresh stores in 2018, purportedly relied on a blend of manual labour and technology, according to reports. While Amazon initially touted a system where customers could enter a store, select their items, and depart without traditional checkout, recent revelations suggest a significant human involvement alongside the claimed AI and sensor infrastructure.
According to The Information, despite Amazon’s assertion of employing a network of cameras and sensors to monitor customer selections, the company engaged hundreds of remote workers in India to manually oversee customer transactions, rather than relying solely on automated processes.
1. The task of monitoring customer purchases and exits was delegated to remote cashiers situated in India.
2. The Information’s report revealed that this workforce comprised over 1,000 individuals, as Amazon outsourced cashier responsibilities to India.
3. This outsourcing decision seemingly undercuts local employment opportunities, favouring the recruitment of lower-paid workers in India.
4. Amazon recently announced the discontinuation of the Just Walk Out technology in its Amazon Fresh stores, citing excessive time consumption as a primary factor.
5. The report further highlighted that the outsourced workforce in India spent considerable time compiling tracked data, resulting in delayed receipt generation for customers.
In place of the Just Walk Out system, Amazon plans to introduce smart carts, enabling customers to bypass traditional checkout queues. Additionally, customers will have real-time access to their expenditures. Carly Golden, an Amazon spokesperson, noted that customer feedback influenced this transition, as they expressed a desire for both checkout-free convenience and the ability to monitor receipts and savings. Smart carts aim to fulfill these requirements while streamlining the shopping experience.
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