Amazon recently announced the launch of a new generation of fully automated warehousing robot Proteus. Compared with the version debuting in 2022, the biggest change in the new system is the addition of human-like language interaction capabilities. Employees can directly give instructions to the robot in natural language, instead of requiring professional software programming. The company said that this upgraded robot is part of its automation strategy and will work with existing employees to improve operational efficiency. However, the outside world is generally concerned about whether this means that warehouse jobs will be further replaced by robots.
According to Amazon, with the support of AI, Proteus can "understand" employees' verbal or text task descriptions like colleagues, and then independently plan priorities, travel routes, and work schedules. Previously, operators needed to use specialized software systems to issue instructions. Now they only need to specify "which goods need to be moved and where to send them," and the robot can complete the rest of the decision-making and execution process on its own. "You just tell it what it wants to accomplish, and it figures out the priorities, the route and the timing," said Scott Dresser, Amazon's vice president of robotics.
In terms of hardware form, the new generation Proteus still continues the previous "ground-hugging turtle-shaped" design, and is mainly responsible for handling large shelves and heavy goods in warehouses. However, in terms of operation scope, Amazon said that the new system breaks through the limitation of the existing Proteus operating only in the loading and unloading dock area and "can work in all areas where goods need to be moved." This means that robots can not only be responsible for the turnover and transportation of containers that have just arrived at the park, but can also transfer containers between different work stations and assist employees in operations such as fulfillment centers and distribution stations.
This new system is currently being tested in Amazon’s internal labs, and the company plans to deploy it first in Europe in the first half of 2027. Proteus is also part of Amazon's broader robotics roadmap, with the company also planning to expand its tactile-sensing Vulcan robot, as well as its collaborative case-handling system previously piloted in Barcelona, to more European sites over the next year. Amazon emphasized that since the introduction of robots into its operations, the company has still hired hundreds of thousands of new employees worldwide and is "creating new jobs" with these technologies.