Tag: #news

  • New IT Rules Amendments Aim to Simplify Content Takedown Process in India

    To expedite the process of content removal by digital intermediaries, the IT ministry (MeitY) announced changes to the IT Rules, 2021 on 22 October. The new regulations, known as the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2025, establish senior-level accountability and provide detailed guidelines for removing “illegal” content.

    The revised regulations will take effect on November 15. According to the new regulations, which only apply to Section 3(1)(d) of the IT Rules, only specific high-level officials are now authorised to notify intermediaries to remove illegal content. This covers a senior official who holds a position higher than joint secretary. “Adequate government or its agency” was all that was mentioned in the prior version of the IT Rules. A takedown request may be made by a director or an officer of comparable rank acting through a single corresponding officer in the event that there is no joint secretary.

    New IT Rules Put Bigger Scanner on Online Content

    The new guidelines also provide police officers the authority to order takedowns. Social media platforms may receive such notifications from law enforcement agencies through a specifically authorised person who is not less than the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG).

    Additionally, an officer at least as high as the secretary of the relevant department will now periodically evaluate all such removal orders. According to the notification, this procedure was put in place to make sure that these notifications are appropriate, necessary, and compliant with Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act. All such takedown requests must “clearly” state the nature of the illegal act, the particular identification (URL) or other electronic location of the information, and the legal foundation and statutory provision invoked, according to the new standards.

    Weeks after social media site X’s appeal against the Center’s use of Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act to prohibit content was purportedly rejected by Karnataka’s high court (HC), the revisions were made. The Centre seems to be simplifying the structure to avoid any legal problems, as the Elon Musk-led platform now intends to contest the decision.

    New Rules Segregate Real from AI Content

    The notification was sent out on the same day that the IT ministry requested public input on changes to the IT Rules, 2021, that would be made to combat deepfakes. The Centre intends to require all online platforms to identify all deepfakes and AI-produced content as “synthetically generated information” in accordance with the draft rules.

    The government also intends to increase the pressure on big social media companies to ask users to confirm whether the stuff they publish is artificially created. Technical mechanisms, such as automated tools, must subsequently be put in place by these platforms to confirm that user assertions about AI-generated material are accurate. Legal repercussions and the loss of safe harbour protections will follow noncompliance with these suggested standards.

    Quick Shots

    •MeitY
    notifies changes to the IT Rules, 2021 to streamline content takedown by
    digital intermediaries.

    •New
    rules take effect from 15 November 2025.

    •Police
    officers, via designated authorities of DIG rank or higher, can also order
    content removal.

    Department secretaries or
    equivalent will review all takedown orders for appropriateness and
    compliance.

  • Microsoft Softens Return-To-Office: Certain Teams Get More Flexible Work Options

    Good news for Microsoft employees. The company is easing its return to office policies to help employees balance work and life. In September 2025, the company announced to its employees a mandate to return to the office at least 3 days a week. But now, Microsoft has asked its employees to return to the office in a more relaxed manner. Workers in sales and client-facing roles are offered flexible work options (including remote work). So, how is Microsoft doing this? How are the other companies dealing with the in-office and remote work for their employees? For all that, learn more. 

    Why Is Microsoft Doing This?

    According to Microsoft, roles like commercial sales and solution engineering have unique needs. These roles require employees to travel extensively and attend client meetings, making the in-office work rules seem unnecessary. That’s the reason why these roles are offered the flexibility to work remotely.

    Plus, Microsoft wants to balance employee freedom with business needs. And don’t want to force or pressure its employees to be back in the office. 

    The Bigger Picture of Work-Life in Tech Now

    Unlike Microsoft, many tech companies are getting stricter with their rules about in-office work:

    • Dell: The company mandated its employees to work from the office on March 3, 2025. Even its sales teams started working 5 days a week in the office.
    • Amazon: The company asked its employees to work from the office 5 days a week, starting January 2, 2025.

    These companies believe that working in person enhances their teamwork, creativity, and productivity.

    Microsoft’s Approach

    • The company is taking more of a softer, flexible stance compared to the other tech giants in the market right now.
    • The details of who will return to the office and who’ll have the liberty to work from home are still not officially confirmed. However, an internal memo provided insight into the future of work at Microsoft.
    • But several reports suggest that sales roles are exempt from the in-office rules. 

    Industry Trend

    • Post-pandemic companies have slowly started going back to offices. However, many still worked from home. Early this year, several companies sent memos to return to offices 3 – 5 days a week.
    • About half of Fortune 500 desk jobs are now back in the office completely. Additionally, many companies have fired thousands of employees to make their teams leaner and more productive.
    • So, asking to return to offices has become a more convenient scenario for tech giants. However, Microsoft has found a middle ground. Not too strict and not fully remote. 
  • Meta Lays Off 600 Employees from its AI Unit as Wang Strengthens Leadership

    A spokeswoman confirmed to CNBC on 22 October that Meta will lay off some 600 workers in its artificial intelligence division as part of its efforts to streamline operations and cut layers. Alexandr Wang, the company’s chief AI officer, who was brought on board in June as part of Meta’s $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI, wrote a memo outlining the cuts.

    Employees at the Fundamental Artificial Intelligence Research unit (FAIR), Meta’s AI infrastructure units, and other roles involving products will be affected. According to those familiar with the situation, TBD Labs staff members, including many of the top-tier AI hires recruited into the social network company last summer, were unaffected by the layoffs, CNBC said.

    According to the people, those workers under Wang’s supervision were exempt from the layoffs, highlighting Mark Zuckerberg’s wager on his pricey hires rather than the company’s long-standing staff.

    Why Meta is Opting for Layoffs?

    According to CNBC’s report, teams like FAIR and more product-focused units frequently competed for computing resources, making Meta’s AI section appear fat. They claimed that the company’s enormous Meta AI unit was passed down to the new hires as they joined to establish Superintelligence Labs. The layoffs are part of Meta’s ongoing effort to reduce the department and strengthen Wang’s position as the company’s AI leader.

    In an effort to stay ahead of competitors like OpenAI and Google, Meta has been drastically changing its approach to AI in recent months. The company has been investing billions of dollars in hiring and infrastructure projects. According to the persons, Meta’s Superintelligence Labs now employs just under 3,000 people after the layoffs. On 22 October, Meta informed at least a few workers that they would be terminated on November 21 and that they would be placed in a “non-working notice period” until then.

    The note, which CNBC saw, stated, “Your internal access will be removed during this time, and you do not need to do any additional work for Meta.” “You can look for another position at Meta during this time.” Additionally, the corporation stated that it will give 16 weeks of severance pay plus an additional two weeks for each year of service that has been completed, “minus your notice period.” CEO Mark Zuckerberg had become dissatisfied with Meta’s AI advancements, particularly after developers responded ambivalently to the company’s April release of its Llama 4 models.

    Meta Cutting Down on its Expanses

    Meta raised the low end of its prior estimate during its July second-quarter results call, stating that it anticipates its total expenses for 2025 to fall between $114 billion and $118 billion. Since Meta said that its AI activities will lead to a 2026 year-over-year expense growth rate that is higher than the 2025 expense growth, that number is only anticipated to rise. 

    Zuckerberg announced a new division dubbed Meta Superintelligence Labs, which is composed of leading AI researchers and engineers, after Meta made a significant investment in Scale AI. Wang and former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman are in charge of the organisation. Meta and Blue Owl Capital announced a $27 billion agreement on October 21 to finance and build the gigantic Hyperion data centre in rural Louisiana. In a July post, Zuckerberg stated that the data centre would likely be big enough to occupy a “significant part of the footprint of Manhattan”.

    Quick Shots

    •Meta
    to cut 600 employees from its AI division to streamline operations and reduce
    redundancies.

    •Alexandr
    Wang, Meta’s Chief AI Officer, strengthens leadership as layoffs exempt his
    direct teams.

    •Cuts
    impact FAIR, AI infrastructure teams, and product-focused roles; TBD Labs
    staff largely unaffected.

    •Meta’s
    Superintelligence Labs now employs just under 3,000 people after layoffs.

  • ChatGPT Not Ready, Warns Airbnb CEO Amid AI Integration Talks

    Brian Chesky, the Chief Executive of Airbnb Inc., stated that the company’s online travel app was not yet integrated with OpenAI’s ChatGPT due to the startup’s connective tools not being “quite ready”. In an interview, Chesky stated that Airbnb will keep an eye on the progress of ChatGPT’s app integrations and might eventually think about a partnership akin to those of its rivals Booking Holdings Inc. and Expedia Group Inc.

    Regarding ChatGPT’s integration capabilities, he stated, “I didn’t think it was quite ready.” According to Chesky, OpenAI will need to create a platform that is so strong that Airbnb’s app can function within the ChatGPT chatbot in a way that is “almost self-contained” because Airbnb is a community with verified members.

    Why Chesky Opting to not to go with AI Integration?

    Chesky, who is good friends with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, claimed to have given the AI business advice regarding its new feature that allows outside developers to publish their apps within the ChatGPT chatbot. These functionalities were revealed this month by the AI startup. The well-known chatbot didn’t launch with Airbnb as one of its apps.

    While refusing to comment on Chesky’s comments, an OpenAI representative pointed to the company’s blog post from this month, which characterised the app integration technology as a developer preview with further features on the horizon. In October, T21 claimed that it had enhanced its in-app artificial intelligence features to allow users to conduct additional activities without a live operator, despite Airbnb setting aside a potential integration with ChatGPT. 

    The company’s AI customer support representative, which it made available to all English-speaking users in the United States in May, now shows links and action buttons that can assist users in completing tasks like changing or cancelling reservations. As a result, 15% fewer users now require a live agent, and the average resolution time has decreased from over three hours to six seconds, according to Airbnb.

    The business intends to offer 56 other languages in the upcoming year in addition to Spanish and French this autumn. According to Chesky, the agent is based on 13 distinct AI models, including those from OpenAI, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Google, a division of Alphabet Inc., and open-source providers.

    Airbnb Adding new Features to Attract More Customers

    In an effort to foster user relationships and ultimately improve its travel recommendations within the app, Airbnb, which this year branched out from lodging into tours and personal services, is also implementing new social elements.

    After booking an experience, the firm introduced a feature that allows visitors to share their Airbnb profile with other travellers. Additionally, users who have taken the same tours can now communicate with each other directly. According to Airbnb, privacy precautions are in place, and the communication can only proceed if the recipient approves the message request.

    Next year will see the addition of more social capabilities, which Chesky said might eventually encourage user-generated content on the app, allowing users to find inspiration for trips without ever leaving the Airbnb website.

    Quick Shots

    •Brian
    Chesky says Airbnb hasn’t integrated ChatGPT because the AI’s app
    connectivity isn’t “quite ready.”

    •Airbnb
    is monitoring ChatGPT’s progress and may explore partnerships similar to
    Booking.com or Expedia.

    •OpenAI
    labels the app integration feature as a developer preview, with more updates
    expected.

    Airbnb plans to expand AI support
    to 56 additional languages next year.

  • Netflix’s Stock Is Down by 6.5%: What Went Wrong?

    According to stock market data and reports for October 2025, Netflix shares dropped eleven times so far. Netflix’s stock price dropped significantly again on October 21, 2025. The stock closed at $1,160 per share, which was 6.5% lower than the previous session. The primary reason for this dip is that the company missed its profit expectations for the July-September quarter (Q3). Does this mean the investors have something to worry about? Do tax changes by the Brazilian government have something to do with it? For all that, learn more. 

    What Caused Netflix to Miss Its Earnings Target?

    The tax dispute in Brazil was an unexpected scenario for Netflix. Right now, the company is dealing with it. What exactly happened?

    • Back in 2022, Netflix settled the tax issue with the Brazilian government, paying $619 million, and it’s still an ongoing issue.
    • This payment was recorded as an expense, reducing the company’s Q3 profits by $400 million that year.
    • Netflix stated that without the tax payment, its profits would have been significantly higher.

    Netflix’s Recent Financial Performance

    Netflix’s profits may be hit by the tax, but the company is doing well in other areas:

    • The company earned $3.24 billion in operating income (meaning the profits before taxes and interest payments).
    • It earned $2.66 billion in free cash flow (meaning the extra cash after all the expenses). This number beat Wall Street’s expectations.
    • It also forecasted its full-year free cash flow as $9 billion. 

    What Helped Netflix This Quarter

    Netflix’s strong lineup of shows and movies has attracted record levels of viewership. The list includes shows like:

    • KPop Demon Hunters (it’s the most popular movie this quarter on Netflix),
    • Wednesday – Season 2.
    • A sequel to the comedy “Happy Gilmore.”
    • The boxing match between Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford.

    And there are more shows lined up for the future, like:

    • Final season of “Stranger Things.”
    • A sequel to “Knives Out.”
    • New movies by Guillermo del Toro and Kathryn Bigelow.

    Investors’ Concerns

    Despite such a good viewership and business numbers, the investors are still worried about two main things:

    • Viewer time – Although Netflix users have come close to 1 billion, the declining viewer time is concerning. This means that the users are spending less time than before.
    • AI-created content – Not at the moment, but they fear the AI-generated videos could become bigger than Netflix.

    Plus, the demand for free streaming platforms like YouTube, Roku, and Tubi is seeing faster growth. 

    What’s Next for Netflix

    For a better clash flow, Netflix is planning to:

    • Buy back its shares.
    • It wants to invest more in new shows and movies.
    • Showing interest in acquiring certain assets from Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.

    Why Netflix Shares Dropped? | Where Netflix Went Wrong?
    The biggest streaming platform, Netflix lost 200k subscribers and 37% of their shares dropped in a day. Find out the reasons and where Netflix went wrong?

  • Jio Confirms No Immediate Tariff Hike, Users to Enjoy Current Plans

    The biggest telecom provider in India by market share, Jio Infocomm Ltd., has no imminent plans to raise mobile phone rates, defying market predictions. Instead, it wants to increase revenue by encouraging users to use more data. Contrary to market predictions, Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, the largest telecom provider in India by market share, has no imminent plans to raise mobile phone rates. Instead, it intends to enhance income by encouraging users to use more data.

    In order to boost their average revenue per user (or ARPU, a crucial performance indicator for telecom operators), Jio and its closest rival, Bharti Airtel Ltd., recently scrapped their entry-level plans. The decision raised expectations that the telecom operators would raise tariffs by the end of the year or the beginning of 2026.

    Jio’s Monthly ARPU Rose to 1.2%

    Jio claims that its monthly average income per subscriber increased 1.2% to INR 211.4 in the September quarter from INR 208.8 at the end of June, with growth slowing as a result of promotional 5G deals. Analysts had predicted that Jio would increase tariffs and concentrate on premium services after removing its entry-level pack in order to catch up to Bharti Airtel, which leads the sector in ARPU (INR 250 at the end of June).

    Airtel has not yet released its earnings for the September quarter. In an earnings call with investors, Reliance Jio Infocomm’s head of strategy, Anshuman Thakur, said the company is encouraging customers to spend more and be happy to pay more, but it has no imminent plans to raise tariffs.

    Jio Added 8.3 Million Subscribers in September

    Jio Net now has 506.4 million mobile subscribers after adding 8.3 million during the September quarter. Jio had 234 million 5G users at the end of September, compared to 213 million during the previous quarter in June. Fifty percent of Jio’s wireless traffic now comes from 5G.

    After more than two years, telecom companies finally hiked tariffs in July 2024, with Reliance Jio leading the way with a 12–25% pricing increase. However, Jio has not publicly discussed raising rates, despite Airtel and Vodafone Idea Ltd. being outspoken about the necessity of doing so in order to boost the return on capital employed (RoCE), a metric used to assess profitability and efficiency.

    Earlier this month, Gopal Vittal, the managing director and vice chairman of Bharti Airtel, stated at an industry gathering that the company is using the lowest ARPUs and the lowest charge per gigabyte. But it must turn a profit. Actually, Vittal has previously demanded that the telecom price structure be changed in order to charge for more data and reduce the data allotment on certain telecom packs.

    Quick Shots

    •Reliance
    Jio Infocomm Ltd. has no immediate plans to raise mobile phone tariffs
    despite market expectations.

    •The
    company aims to boost revenue by encouraging higher data consumption among
    users.

    •ARPU
    growth slowed due to promotional 5G offers.

    •Jio’s
    5G users reached 234 million, accounting for 50% of total wireless traffic.

  • Infosys’ ₹18,000 Crore Buyback: What It Means for Investors and Promoters

    Infosys, one of India’s biggest IT companies, announced that it will buy back its shares worth INR 18,000 crore. The company aims to buy its shares from the existing shareholders at a fixed price to reduce the shares in circulation. It set a price of INR 1,800 per share, and about 10 crore shares are under the target, which is about 2.41% of its total number of shares. However, the real question looms: why is Infosys buying back its shares right now? How does it affect the investors? And what does it mean to the promoters? For all that, learn more.  

    Who Are the Promoters?

    The promoters of Infosys are the founders and their respective families. These individuals are the founders of the company and still hold shares in it. They altogether own about 13.05% of Infosys shares. The list includes:

    • Nandan Nilekani (Co-founder and current Chairman) and his family members, namely, Rohini, Nihar, and Janhavi Nilekani.
    • N. R. Narayana Murthy’s family includes his wife Sudha Murty, daughter Akshata Murty (married to UK PM Rishi Sunak), and son Rohan Murty.
    • These people are important because they own a significant portion of the company, and the buyback would be expected from them as well. Now, the real question is, are they ready?

    What Did the Promoters of Infosys Decide?

    They all have collectively decided not to sell their shares in this INR 18,000 crore buyback. They all made it clear in the letters sent to the company between September 14 and 19, 2025. Therefore, the promoters of Infosys will hold their shares for now. 

    What Does This Mean to the Promoters of Infosys?

    The company aims to repurchase shares from the general public, thereby reducing the total number of shares in the market. This will have a positive impact on promoters because it slightly increases the percentage of ownership (voting power). 

    Why Is Infosys Doing This Now?

    According to Infosys, this buyback is part of its Capital Allocation Policy, meaning how the company decides to use its money. It wants to:

    • Return extra (surplus) money to shareholders efficiently.
    • Invest in the future growth of the company.
    • To have a balance between dividends and buybacks.It also wants to return about 85% of its free cash flow to its shareholders in the next five years via dividends and buybacks.

    Effect on Investors

    • It’s good news for investors, of course, as it sends out a signal that Infosys is confident about its financial growth and health.
    • The share price will improve over time as fewer shares are circulating in the market, which leads to higher earnings per share (EPS).
    • The share price of Infosys closed at INR 1,472 on October 21, which was up by 0.72% from the previous day. 

    How Infosys Makes Money: Business Model Explained
    Learn about Infosys business model and discover how Infosys generates revenue through IT services, consulting, outsourcing, and digital transformation solutions.

  • Zoho Is Stepping Into Fintech With Zoho Pay: When Is It Launching?

    Zoho, a Chennai-based tech company, is set to launch its payments app, similar to Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm. The app is called Zoho Pay. More than just the regular payments, the company is also planning to launch tech to take care of billing, payroll, lending and insurance. So, when will the company launch Zoho Pay? How is it different from the rest in the market? What’s behind the company’s decision to enter the payment app industry now? For all that, learn more. 

    What Is Zoho Pay?

    Zoho Pay is a digital payment app that will let you:

    • Send and receive money
    • Make secure payments
    • Do quick transactions easily (just like the other apps, such as Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm).

    The app will soon be available in two different ways:

    • A full-fledged mobile app.
    • And the other way is integrated inside Zoho’s chat app “Arattai.”
    • This integration helps users pay or transfer money directly on “Arattai”, eliminating the need to switch between apps. 

    About Arattai

    Arattai is Zoho’s chat and collaboration app. It was launched in 2021, and the primary objective of the app is to solidify privacy, as those concerns are more prevalent in foreign messaging apps like WhatsApp. According to the BBC, Zoho’s Arattai app has more than 7.5 million registered users as of October 2025. And the company is working its way to compete with big messaging apps like WhatsApp.

    Arattai already supports:

    • Group chats
    • Video calls
    • File sharing

    Similar to WhatsApp’s integration with other payment apps, Zoho will integrate Zoho Pay with its messaging app, Arattai.

    Why Zoho Is Doing This

    Zoho is passionate and ambitious about expanding into the financial technology (fintech) space. The company is already into business payments and POS (Point-of-Sale) systems (meaning swipe and billing devices used by vendors). Now with Zoho Pay, the company aims to reach the general public.

    Sivaramakrishnan Iswaran, CEO of Zoho Payments Tech, stated that the company had had a plan for a long time to build a complete financial ecosystem. That includes:

    • Lending (loans)
    • Broking (investment trading)
    • Insurance
    • Wealth management (wealthtech)

    According to him, Zoho aims to build this ecosystem more slowly, organically, and profitably instead of rushing.

    Other Upcoming Fintech Products From Zoho

    Zoho has big plans for the future, and that includes:

    • Zoho Billing – It’s their new tool, specially made for invoicing and managing subscriptions.
    • Deeper integration of Zoho Payroll – An app to connect salary payments directly with the banking systems.

    As Sivaramakrishnan Iswaran mentioned, the company aims to build a connected financial system.

    • Receive payments
    • Managing payments
    • Automating payouts

    When Will Zoho Pay Launch?

    The app is currently in testing (internally). The launch will happen in stages over the next few months. No date is fixed yet. 

    Zoho Expands Fintech Portfolio with POS Devices, Soundbox
    Zoho enters the POS market with all-in-one devices and soundbox, partners with NPCI Bharat BillPay, and integrates Zoho Pay with Arattai.

  • Gold’s Biggest Fall In 12 Years: What Does It Mean to Investors?

    After months of skyrocketing, gold and silver prices took a sharp fall. Gold fell 2.9% on October 22, and silver fell 2% on October 21. The uptrend will likely continue, say the analysts, as several investors rushed to buy gold during this dip period. According to The Economic Times, the gold prices have more than doubled, it’s 60.1% in 2025 in India. So, despite such a strong start, what caused this fall? Will this happen again? Should gold investors be worried about it? And what else is going on in the markets? For all that, learn more.  

    What’s Happening With Gold and Silver?

    • Notably, gold prices on Wednesday fell by 2.9% to $4,004.26 per ounce. The price fell 6.3% on Tuesday already; it’s in fact the biggest dip in 12 years. 
    • On the other hand, the silver prices fell by 2% which is $47.6 per ounce. Silver suffered a 7.1% fall in the previous session as well. 

    Why Are They Falling? 

    • The primary reason is that the traders are taking profits. It means that the investors (gold and silver) are selling the gold when the prices are high (as they were a few days ago). 
    • Since gold prices went up massively, it’s common for investors to think that it will become a “bubble” (unsustainably high).  
    • So, the rally might have begun with a few, and then others followed, triggering a chain reaction of selling.   

    What Else Is Going on in Markets

    • Asian stock markets are mixed at the moment, with some rising and others falling. Overall, there was a weak performance on Wall Street. 
    • U.S. stocks were flat on October 21, and the S&P 500 barely saw a moment. 
    • U.S. government bonds (Treasuries) were high as investors became cautious, and it’s a usual occurrence. Plus, the U.S. dollar was stable.  

    Why Gold Rose So Much Earlier

    The gold skyrocketed in price like never before. Reasons were: 

    • Central banks across the world have made significant investments in gold. 
    • There are several concerns about U.S. government debt and deficits (meaning the “fiscal health” of the U.S.). 
    • Lower bond yields made gold more attractive because it doesn’t pay interest. 

    Stock Market vs. Precious Metals 

    • The dip in gold and silver (essentially a crash) had little impact on the stock market, as it performed steadily for the most part.  
    • According to Barclays, the big funds are mostly in stocks only, so the risk is minimal. 
    • Famous analysts like Craig Johnson from Piper Sandler affirmed that this pullback is normal and healthy.  

    The U.S. Government Shutdown Factor 

    Due to the U.S. government shutdown at the moment, it’s hard to source out critical economic data, like the weekly Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) report. Now, this data can help us understand how much hedge funds and big players invested in gold and silver, and how much it affected them. 

    Furthermore, analysts from ANZ Bank suggest that gold prices have strong long-term support.

    Gold Investment Options in India 2025: Festive Season Guide
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  • Amazon to Replace 500,000 Jobs with Robots by 2033

    One of the biggest employers in the US, Amazon, is getting ready for a significant change in the way it manages its warehouses. Roughly over the next ten years, the firm plans to replace roughly half a million jobs with robots, according to internal documents and interviews that The New York Times examined.

    With about 1.2 million workers, Amazon’s U.S. workforce has grown quickly, but the company thinks technology might save it from adding more than 160,000 more people by 2027. It is anticipated that the business will save roughly 30 cents for each item it processes. According to executives, Amazon could handle twice as many products by 2033 with robotic systems without having to hire a lot more workers.

    Amazon Planning to Deploy it in its Warehouses

    In warehouses built for lightning-fast deliveries, where robots do the majority of the hard lifting, packing, and transferring of items, the company is exploring this strategy. As an illustration, Amazon’s Shreveport, Louisiana, warehouse is already using about 1,000 robots, which enables it to run with 25% fewer employees than it would require in the absence of automation. By 2027, plans are underway to replicate this strategy in 40 more facilities, including an older building in Stone Mountain, Georgia, and a large warehouse in Virginia Beach.

    At Amazon, robotics are frequently referred to as “cobots” to imply cooperation with people rather than complete replacement. In order to control impressions in communities where employment may be lost, the corporation has also thought about referring to it as “advanced technology” rather than “automation” or “AI” in public conversations.

    Move will Create New Pool of Job Opportunities: Amazon

    According to Amazon, rather than merely replacing current professions, robots are supposed to generate new, better-paying technical occupations like robotics technicians. Over 160 employees at Shreveport are paid at least $24.45 per hour as robotics technicians, while other warehouse workers make about $19.50. To prepare employees for these future positions, the business also offers apprenticeship programmes in mechatronics.

    However, because Amazon warehouses employ a large number of Black workers, experts caution that the shift to robotics could disproportionately damage communities of colour and blue-collar workers. Although the corporation has stated that it does not intend to lay off employees, automation and attrition may eventually result in fewer employees at some sites.

    To put it briefly, Amazon is utilising robots to increase productivity and reduce costs as it moves towards a fully automated future. This raises significant concerns about the future of traditional warehouse work and the people who depend on it, even while it might lead to the creation of new technical positions.

    Quick Shots

    •Amazon
    aims to replace over 500,000 jobs with robots by 2033.

    •“Cobots”
    designed to work alongside humans rather than fully replace them.

    •Amazon
    offers apprenticeships in mechatronics to prepare employees for new roles.

    Goal is to double warehouse
    processing capacity by 2033 while controlling costs.