Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy warns employees that generative AI and autonomous agents will lead to job losses across office roles, marking a major shift in the future of work.

Amazon Boss Warns of Looming Job Cuts as AI Accelerates


The chief executive of Amazon, Andrew Jassy, has warned employees that artificial intelligence could soon replace a significant number of office jobs, marking a pivotal shift in how work is conducted at one of the world’s largest technology firms.

In a company-wide internal memo reported by The Guardian, Jassy told staff that generative AI and autonomous agents are already changing the nature of work, and their continued deployment will ultimately reduce the number of roles needed in Amazon's offices.

“As we deploy more generative AI and agents, this will change the way our work is done,” Jassy said. “We will need fewer people for some of the jobs that are done today, and more people for other types of work.”

Generative AI and the Changing Face of Amazon Jobs


Amazon, which currently employs around 1.5 million people globally, has approximately 350,000 in corporate roles spanning software engineering, marketing, and operations. According to Jassy, the company anticipates a reduction in office-based staff over the next few years due to automation powered by AI.

“It’s hard to know exactly how this will end up over time,” he wrote, “but in the next few years, we expect this to reduce the total number of our employees in the office.”

His comments come amid growing industry-wide concern about artificial intelligence’s potential to displace traditional roles. Just last weekend, the CEO of British telecoms giant BT echoed similar sentiments, suggesting AI advances could lead to deeper cuts. Dario Amodei, CEO of AI company Anthropic, recently stated AI could eliminate up to half of all entry-level office jobs.

The Rise of AI Agents and Their Impact on Daily Life


Jassy said he expects billions of AI agents to eventually permeate both the workplace and people’s personal lives. “There will be billions of these agents, in every company and in every possible field,” he said. “There will also be agents who will regularly do things for you outside of work, from shopping to travelling to daily jobs and tasks. Many of these agents have not yet been built, but make no mistake – they are coming, and they are coming fast.”

Upskilling for an AI-Driven Future


Despite the bleak outlook for some roles, Jassy urged employees to take a proactive approach by becoming proficient in AI technologies. “Those who embrace this change, become AI proficient, help us build and improve our internal AI capacities, and deliver more to customers, will be in a favorable position to have great impact and help us reshape the company,” he concluded.

His remarks come amid broader research by global institutions on AI’s long-term impact. The OECD recently warned that skilled professions like law, medicine, and finance could also face automation. The International Monetary Fund estimates that 60% of jobs in developed economies, including the US and UK, are exposed to AI, with half of those potentially negatively affected.

However, a report by the Tony Blair Institute suggests the shift may also bring opportunity. It projects that while AI could displace up to 3 million jobs in the UK, new roles in the private sector will help balance the losses.

 A Turning Point for the Workforce


As Amazon leads the charge into an AI-driven future, Jassy’s message serves as a stark reminder of the rapid changes technology is bringing to the global workplace. For employees across the tech sector and beyond, the challenge now lies in adapting to a world where machines no longer assist, but often replace.