Amazon has confirmed that it plans to axe 14,000 jobs in its corporate division as part of a broader effort to become more lean and efficient. The move is driven by the tech giant's ambitious investment in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, which will enable companies to innovate at an accelerated pace.
In a note to staff, senior vice president Beth Galetti said that Amazon needs to be "organised more leanly" to take advantage of the opportunities presented by AI. She acknowledged that some employees may question the move, given the company's strong performance in recent times.
Amazon has already cut thousands of jobs in its corporate division over the past few years, including 27,000 roles in 2022. However, slower growth for its cloud business and concerns among investors about the company's profit guidance have sparked skepticism about whether Amazon's AI investments will pay off.
The job losses are expected to affect around 350,000 corporate workers worldwide, although it is not clear how many of these roles will be affected in the UK. Amazon has more than 1.5 million employees globally, making it one of the largest employers in the world.
As tech analyst Ben Barringer notes, "Jobs in software development are already being shed thanks to the capabilities of some of these AI tools... The big companies will be looking to redistribute and restructure their workforces accordingly." This sentiment has been echoed by Amazon boss Andy Jassy, who has warned that machines may take over routine tasks as AI becomes more prevalent.
The move is part of a broader trend in the tech industry, where companies are investing heavily in AI technology and automation. Microsoft recently announced plans to cut up to 9,000 jobs as it invests in AI, highlighting the challenges facing companies that want to harness the power of emerging technologies while minimizing disruption to their workforces.
Amazon's decision will be closely watched by investors and analysts, who will be keen to see how the company's AI investments pay off in terms of revenue growth and profitability.
In a note to staff, senior vice president Beth Galetti said that Amazon needs to be "organised more leanly" to take advantage of the opportunities presented by AI. She acknowledged that some employees may question the move, given the company's strong performance in recent times.
Amazon has already cut thousands of jobs in its corporate division over the past few years, including 27,000 roles in 2022. However, slower growth for its cloud business and concerns among investors about the company's profit guidance have sparked skepticism about whether Amazon's AI investments will pay off.
The job losses are expected to affect around 350,000 corporate workers worldwide, although it is not clear how many of these roles will be affected in the UK. Amazon has more than 1.5 million employees globally, making it one of the largest employers in the world.
As tech analyst Ben Barringer notes, "Jobs in software development are already being shed thanks to the capabilities of some of these AI tools... The big companies will be looking to redistribute and restructure their workforces accordingly." This sentiment has been echoed by Amazon boss Andy Jassy, who has warned that machines may take over routine tasks as AI becomes more prevalent.
The move is part of a broader trend in the tech industry, where companies are investing heavily in AI technology and automation. Microsoft recently announced plans to cut up to 9,000 jobs as it invests in AI, highlighting the challenges facing companies that want to harness the power of emerging technologies while minimizing disruption to their workforces.
Amazon's decision will be closely watched by investors and analysts, who will be keen to see how the company's AI investments pay off in terms of revenue growth and profitability.
Amazon's move to shed 14k jobs as part of its AI push is just another reminder that automation isn't just about tech – it's about business as usual 
. Companies are getting more efficient, but that often means sacrificing human roles that aren't deemed "essential" 
. The question is, what does "organised more leanly" even mean for employees? Is it about adapting to new technologies or being a cog in the machine? 
... like, what's gonna happen to all those people? It sounds crazy that Amazon's just gonna automate everything now 
Those AI tools are supposed to make life easier, not replace human workers entirely 
... it's just one more reason why I wish we had better social safety nets 
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. As Barringer aptly puts it, "Jobs in software development are already being shed thanks to the capabilities of some of these AI tools..." This highlights the need for companies like Amazon to think strategically about how they redistribute and restructure their workforces.
especially with Amazon being such a big employer. I get that they want to stay lean and efficient but 14,000 jobs is a lot! What's going to happen to all those people? Will they just be let go without any support? I hope the company can find ways to restructure their workforce in a way that doesn't hurt so many people 
. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out and if Amazon's AI investments really pay off for them. Maybe it'll create more opportunities for some, but at what cost? 
, but what about the people who already lost their jobs a few years ago? Like, I was following this one guy from 2022, he had to leave his job 'cause Amazon cut like 27,000 roles 
... And now they're doing it again, but this time more aggressively 
. I wonder if the 350,000 corporate workers worldwide will be okay? Or just gonna get shuffled around to new departments 
... Anyways, it's like, we gotta see how all this AI stuff plays out in the long run 
...
. Jobs are already gone in software dev cuz of AI tools 
. Companies gotta adapt or lose customers 
I just hope they're getting some good support and severance packages or something 
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. 14,000 jobs gone, but what about the ones that actually know what they're doing? Those employees are being cut loose like they're old news. Meanwhile, the AI bots will be taking over all the low-level stuff and making everyone redundant. It's all part of the plan to create a super-efficient workforce, but I call foul 
. What about the people who aren't tech-savvy enough to keep up? They'll just get left behind. This is what happens when you let corporate giants make decisions without considering the human cost. It's all just a cover-up for the real agenda: total automation and control 
. They're all about innovation and progress, but sometimes that means cutting loose some old ways of doing things 
14,000 jobs is a lot, though - hope everyone affected gets support and finds new opportunities soon 
!
u know how scary it is 2 be let go frm a job? esp when u're part of such a big company like amazon... they must b tryin 2 cut costs but at what cost tho 