18,000 Amazon jobs lost to automation

Plus: Lockheed Martin achieves first light of its 50kW laser-powered weapon. Jan 26, 2023 [Blueprint]( It’s a jungle out there… [particularly if you work for Amazon](. The tech giant recently announced over 18,000 job losses, mostly in Amazon Stores and PXT organizations – the biggest layoff in the company's history. Why? …Robots. Alongside the impact of slower online sales growth and an imminent recession, Amazon has raised an army of warehouse robots – over 520,000 in the last decade. And there is speculation amongst tech experts that this points to an apocalyptic imbalance for the future human workforce. But before you start weighing up whether you’re replaceable, weigh up something just as pressing. [This video]( asks the important question, why don’t we have holo-stuffs like in Star Wars yet? Well quite. Good morning. I’m Alice, an Editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s dive in. Last Sunday, Blueprint subscribers heard from the people behind the world’s largest aircraft, and what exactly they want to do with it. This week, they’ll hear from metaverse expert James Coop on why — despite what Bill Gates says — the metaverse really does have the power to change the world. Don't miss out — [subscribe to IE+]( today to receive exclusive interviews, features, and much more. [Play]VIDEO OF THE DAY [Why don’t we have holo-stuffs like in Star Wars yet?]( [Why don’t we have holo-stuffs like in Star Wars yet?]( The force is not strong with us… [Must Read]MUST READ [Amazon layoffs hit amid an increase in automation. [premium]]( [Amazon layoffs hit amid an increase in automation.]( [Amazon recently announced over 18,000 job losses]( mostly in Amazon Stores and PXT organizations. This is the biggest layoff in the company's history. Why? …Robots. The news will mostly affect administrative jobs, which make up around six percent of Amazon's 350,000 corporate employees. The impetus for this may well have been slower online sales growth and a potential recession, but the company has also raised an army of warehouse robots – over 520,000 in the last decade. And there is speculation amongst tech experts that this points to an apocalyptic imbalance for the future human workforce. Amazon has regularly maintained that its robotic workers have no impact on the human workforce and claims to have increased both hourly pay and the number of people working for the retail giant in addition to the robots. → But Amazon isn’t alone here. In 2022, the entire tech industry experienced a massive meltdown, with the world's top tech billionaires losing approximately $575 billion of their personal fortune. According to layoffs.fyi, 1,021 tech companies laid off a total of 154,186 people in 2022. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [Facebook]( [INNOVATION]INNOVATION [Lockheed Martin achieves first light of its 50kW laser-powered weapon.]( Lockheed Martin has successfully demonstrated that its [ruggedized 50-kW tactical laser weapon can be integrated into the Stryker combat vehicle](. Laser-based weapons are effective tools against smaller uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), but can also be used with larger aircraft. The U.S. Army, which has been working in this area, has commissioned 50-kW weapons so far, but is also considering a 300-kW weapon. The greatest benefit of a laser-powered weapon is the unlimited ammunition it has in its kitty, as long as the energy source is secured. This means the weapon can be deployed at remote locations, and even in highly contested environments. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [SCIENCE]SCIENCE [New panoramic view of the universe showcases over 3 billion stars.]( A [new galactic panorama has been captured]( by the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) instrument on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a Program of NSF's NOIRLab. It shows over 3 billion stars bristling among the wispy bands of dust in our home galaxy: the Milky Way. The data used to create this image originates from the second release of the Dark Energy Camera Plane Survey (DECaPS2). DECaPS's first data was released in 2017. Its second release now covers 6.5 percent of the night sky and spans a staggering 130-degrees in length. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [CULTURE]CULTURE [US-China tensions soar: PLA deploys J-16 bombers in all theatre commands.]( The growing pressure from the U.S. and its allies has allegedly [pushed China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) to deploy J-16 fighter jets](. The multirole-fighters have joined all five PLA theatre commands, “amid increasing provocations from the U.S. and its allies in the South and East China seas,” according to state-run China Central Television (CCTV.) Western Theatre Command, which oversees border security along the contentious Himalayan border with India, was the first to receive a batch of J-16s. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [MAIL & MUSINGS]MAIL & MUSINGS Amazon layoffs hit amid an increase in automation. Do you think this is a sign of things to come, and the majority of jobs will be replaced by robots? [Eventually, yes]( [No, robots won’t replace us]( [In some industries, for sure]( [I am unsure either way]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Yesterday, we asked you if you would pay $42 for ChatGPT premium, and an intriguing 69 percent of you said no, it’s not worth paying for. 69% No, it’s not worth paying for 19% I would if it were cheaper 9% I am unsure either way 3% Yes, sign me up [QUOTE OF THE DAY]QUOTE OF THE DAY “You just can't differentiate between a robot and the very best of humans.” Isaac Asimov, I, Robot. [THINGS WE LOVE]THINGS WE LOVE [image]( [Magnasonic Professional Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner]( [image]( [Coaster Contemporary Bar Unit]( [image]( [Personalized Engraved Compass]( [image]( [Tesoorda LED Flame Speaker]( [AND ANOTHER THING]AND ANOTHER THING - [How did we get to the Moon?]( Propulsion technology and space shuttles. [premium] - Fossils suggest early primates lived in a [once-swampy Arctic](. (Science News) - [Redesigned combustion engine]( could boost performance. [premium] - Neil Turok on the case for a parallel universe [going backward in time](. (New Scientist) - [Ants can 'sniff out' cancer tumors]( in urine, says new study. - How salty does the sea have to be [for an egg to float]( (SN Explores) - First small [nuclear reactor design approved]( in the US. [Subscribe to IE+ today.]( Prepared by Alice Cooke Enjoy Reading? Forward this email to a friend. Was this email forwarded to you? 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