As Amazon pushes into AI smarts, worries about job losses grow

[MUSIC] I got a chance to interview four Amazon execs from across the company's businesses to see how the e-commerce giant uses AI, automation and robotics to create new concepts like its Amazon Go cashierless store. This work is happening by the way at a time when there is significant concern that AI and automation will wipe away millions of jobs. Roger, what do you make of that balance between You know, hey, check out all this shiny new stuff, versus, everybody that's a trucker is going to lose their job. Yeah, I think that is a legitimate concern, I know you've talked to Amazon and they kind of dismiss it a bit or said that new jobs will get created, but I think there are, any time you get A big innovation in how things are made or how services are delivered. There's a lot of fear about how that displaces jobs. It's gone on through basically since the beginning of time, but I think the rate of innovation that's going on right now is Unprecedented I think that has a lot of people freaked out.>> Yeah. And they they definitely spoke a lot about that as it related to Amazon Go stores because those are stores that don't have cashiers and right they're getting a lot of flack for them and from my conversations with them they were like, look, we do not see a situation where we're not gonna have any humans in the stores. I mean, like people still need to stock the shelves they still need to answer customers questions.>> Right.>> So, I dont think we're going to end up in a situation where you're not just going have people in those stores which is, yeah. You've done a lot of this information from the Amazon remass conference, so that the techy conference, what sort of the most iteresting or the wierdest thing you learnt from your talks with those executives? So, one of the coolest things is the warehouse robots They're developing these warehouse robots that basically have computer vision. They have my balls, where they're going to be able to get out of these cages. Right now the robots are stuck in cages. They're going to be getting out of the cages and be able to roam around the factories. Roam around the warehouse a lot more than they used to. Are they like little R2D2's rolling around? They're like orange roombas, and- Ohhh. And they'll be able to do more stuff and actually interact more directly with people. So, it is kind of like having R2D2 or C3PO, or a very early version of that. Right. Hanging out with you, filling out orders, so, yeah. I thought it was kinda cool. Cool! Yeah. Anyway, if you want to read more about these stories check them out on CNET. I'm Ben Fox Rubin. I'm Roger James. Thanks for listening