SEATTLE, USA – June 22, 2025 – In a stark and forward-looking message to Amazon employees this week, CEO Andy Jassy underscored the profound and inevitable impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the company's operations and its workforce. Jassy explicitly stated that the integration of AI tools and "AI agents" will lead to a reduction in Amazon's total corporate workforce over the next few years.
In an internal memo, which has since been widely reported, Jassy described generative AI as "the most transformative technology since the Internet" and a "once-in-a-lifetime reinvention of everything we know." He issued a direct warning about the rapid advance of AI, stating, "Many of these agents have yet to be built, but make no mistake, they're coming, and coming fast."
Key Points from Jassy's Message:
- Workforce Reduction: Jassy clarified that as Amazon rolls out more generative AI and AI agents, "we will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs." While he did not provide specific numbers, he projected that this would "reduce our total corporate workforce as we get efficiency gains from using AI extensively across the company."
- AI Agent Revolution: He defined AI agents as "software systems that use AI to perform tasks on behalf of users or other systems," capable of complex tasks from web research to code writing. Jassy predicted "billions of these agents, across every company and in every imaginable field."
- Adapt or Risk Obsolescence: The CEO urged employees to embrace this technological shift. His advice included: "Be curious about AI, educate yourself, attend workshops and take trainings, use and experiment with AI whenever you can, participate in your team's brainstorms to figure out how to invent for our customers more quickly and expansively, and how to get more done with
scrappier teams." He emphasized that those who "embrace this change, become conversant in AI... will be well-positioned to have high impact." - Extensive AI Integration: Jassy highlighted that Amazon is already deploying generative AI across "virtually every business unit," from its Alexa+ personal assistant to shopping features, advertising tools, and even within its fulfillment network for inventory placement and demand forecasting. He revealed that Amazon currently has "over 1,000 Generative AI services and applications in progress or built," but this is "a small fraction of what we will ultimately build."
- Operating Like a Startup: The message reinforced Jassy's ongoing push for Amazon to "operate like the world's largest startup – customer-obsessed, inventive, fast-moving, lean, scrappy, and full of missionaries." He sees AI as a "substantial catalyst" in achieving this.
Jassy's memo comes as Amazon has already undergone significant workforce reductions, with over 27,000 employees laid off since 2022. It also follows other recent corporate shifts, including a mandate for many employees to return to office work five days a week and a focus on getting "more done with the least amount of resources."
Amazon's proactive stance on AI and its impact on jobs mirrors similar statements from other tech giants like Shopify and Klarna, signaling a broader industry trend where efficiency gains from AI are expected to reshape workforces. The message serves as a clear directive for Amazon employees to upskill and adapt to the AI-driven future or risk being left behind.
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