Amazon Archives - Learners Live

The Radical Changes That Are Making Your Smart Home Less Dumb

William Attardi on October 10, 2025

Most homes are “smart”. Now that they’re getting a generative-AI overhaul, the question is: Can we get more out of devices that until now have been great at setting kitchen timers, reading the weather and playing music? Amazon’s Alexa+ and Google’s Gemini aim to fix that, by making smart homes less dumb. The tech giants introduced new speakers, home displays and cameras this week to capitalize on their evolved assistants, but most existing devices are also compatible. Gemini for Home arrives at the end of the month, and Amazon says 10 million households already have early access to Alexa+. As we wait for Apple’s Siri to catch up—and we’re hoping for news sometime next year—here are the three big changes coming to our homes right now.

1. Cameras that tell you what’s happening
2. Speakers that have real conversations
3. Automation without the app headache

Your Smart Home’s AI Upgrade: Alexa+, Ring ‘Search Party,’ Google’s Gemini for Home and More – WSJ

Amazon Spends $1 Billion to Increase Pay and Lower Health Care Costs for US Workers

William Attardi on September 19, 2025

Amazon has a global workforce of 1.5 million workers. The Seattle-based company said the average pay is increasing to more than $23 per hour. Amazon also said it will lower the cost of its entry health care plan to $5 per week and $5 for co-pays, starting next year. In January 2024, Walmart, the nation’s largest private employer, said that average wages for hourly workers would exceed $18, up from $17.50. At Minneapolis-based Target, the starting hourly wage ranges from $15 to $24 for workers employed at stores and distribution centers. Amazon spends $1 billion to increase pay and lower health care costs for US workers | AP News

Amazon Is on the Cusp of Using More Robots Than Humans in Its Warehouses

William Attardi on July 1, 2025

The e-commerce giant, which has spent years automating tasks previously done by humans in its facilities, has deployed more than one million robots in those workplaces, Amazon said. That is the most it has ever had and near the count of human workers at the facilities. One of Amazon’s newer robots, called Vulcan, has a sense of touch that enables it to pick items from numerous shelves. Amazon has taken recent steps to connect its robots to its order-fulfillment processes, so the machines can work in tandem with each other and with humans. For some Amazon workers, the increasing automation has meant replacing menial, repetitive work lifting, pulling and sorting with more skilled assignments managing the machines. Amazon is also rolling out artificial intelligence in its warehouses, Chief Executive Andy Jassy said recently, “to improve inventory placement, demand forecasting, and the efficiency of our robots.” Amazon said it will cut the size of its total workforce in the next several years. Exclusive | Amazon Is on the Cusp of Using More Robots Than Humans in Its Warehouses – WSJ

Amazon CEO Says AI Will Reduce Its Corporate Workforce by Michelle Chapman

William Attardi on June 22, 2025

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy anticipates generative artificial intelligence will reduce its corporate workforce in the next few years as the online giant begins to increase its usage of the technology. “We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs,” Jassy said. The executive said that Amazon has more than 1,000 generative AI services and applications in progress or built, but that figure is a “small fraction” of what it plans to build. Jassy encouraged employees to get on board with the e-commerce company’s AI plans. Amazon CEO Says AI will Reduce its Corporate Workforce – electrifiED

The Push to Triple Global Nuclear Energy by 2050

William Attardi on April 8, 2025

In recent years, the world has faced unprecedented growth in energy demand caused by digitalization, the development of artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and other energy-consuming technologies. In an attempt to handle this challenge, Amazon, Meta, and Google — top stock gainers during previous years — as well as 14 leading banks and financial institutions, energy suppliers, and representatives of heavy industry, have joined forces to achieve the ambitious goal of tripling global nuclear power capacity by 2050. The World Nuclear Association initiated this program — for the first time, companies not directly involved in nuclear energy have publicly supported scaling nuclear power plants to meet their needs. Powering the Future: The Push to Triple Global Nuclear Energy by 2050 – Programming Insider

The Drone-Delivery Service Beating Amazon to Your Front Door

William Attardi on March 31, 2025

Soon your burrito bowl could arrive via the sky. Zipline’s drones make deliveries by lowering small coolers on 300-foot cables. A drone delivery startup Zipline is in the flying delivery race—competitors include Amazon and Google parent Alphabet—has emerged as a front-runner. For now, initial commercial testing in the U.S. is happening in Pea Ridge and Mesquite, Texas, just outside Dallas. Walmartis the only retail operation Zipline delivers for in the U.S. at present. For future partners, Zipline has designed a small pickup kiosk that can be installed just outside any building. Alphabet’s Wing drone service is already in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, delivering from 18 Walmarts to 40 nearby towns and cities within the drones’ six-mile range. Amazon is operating its drone delivery service in College Station, Texas, and an area near Phoenix, but in terms of scale, the online retail giant remains a distant third. The Drone-Delivery Service Beating Amazon to Your Front Door – WSJ

Why Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Meta Are Investing in Nuclear Power

William Attardi on December 31, 2024

Tech leaders are exploring nuclear power as a solution to the massive energy needs of their data centers, sustainability challenges, and the growing demands of their AI initiatives. SMRs, a new type of nuclear reactor, are gaining attention for their ability to provide round-the-clock power with minimal emissions. As some of the largest energy users, major tech companies are investing in these reactors, which could play a key role in global energy transformation. A must watch video: Why Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Meta are investing in nuclear power | Watch