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AmazonA new version of the fully autonomous warehouse robot Proteus, which will interact in languages rather than codes, was announced. As this e-commerce giant replaces human workers with robots, these expanded functions are part of its increasing shift to automation.

Amazon developed a warehouse machine to talk to workers. People

The company maintained that its robot investment was to support rather than replace warehouse workers.

The Amazon states that artificially intelligently driven upgrades mean that employees can assign robotic tasks as they communicate with colleagues. Previously, staff needed to use specialized software to command turtle-like systems on the ground designed to move heavy and mobile large carts in the Amazon warehouse. "You tell it what needs to be done. It calculates priorities, routes, and times, "Scott Dresser, Vice President of the Amazon Robot."

The next generation of Proteus will also have a larger scope of work than the Proteus currently used, and the Amazon indicates that it currently operates only in the dock area. The company states that “the new system can work anywhere that requires moving items”. This includes transporting containers upon arrival, moving them between workstations and assisting staff between implementation centres and delivery sites.

The new system is currently being piloted at the Amazon Laboratory, but the company has indicated that it plans to deploy to Europe in the first half of 2027.

Proteus is part of a broader robotic road map for the Amazon. The company indicated that it plans to expand next year its sensitive robotics and collaborative suitcase processing system, known as Vulcan, to more sites in Europe, first piloted in Barcelona.

According to Amazon, it is “creating new jobs with these technologies” and claims that hundreds of thousands of people have been employed globally since the introduction of robotics into its operations. The company maintains that its robots are designed to support workers and simplify operations, rather than replacing hundreds of thousands of workers with robots.