The take-over of robots has come early for the employees at Amazon, but a Linfield Professor views this as a positive impact on the employees, the company, and the company’s future.

Amazon has invested in automation, or the arm, which are claw-like machines that will now take over the process of moving and stacking bins in the warehouse. These types of machinery are replacing employees who once had the same back-breaking job.

Professor Rainer Seitz did not view this as an intimidating factor of robots taking over but believed this was a positive step forward for the company in advancing its technology use.

“People generally expect Amazon to be at the forefront in the implementation of this technology,” Seitz said.

Being a company viewed as technologically innovative, this new investment gives Amazon the step they need to compete with competing prices. Even with the introduction of the claw, to the public, it has not caused a dramatic employment loss. As a matter of fact, the employees who were doing the stacking are now the “baby-sitters” of the machine.

“This likely results in employees feeling quite secure in their jobs, as opposed to being threatened by the increasing use of automation,” Seitz said. “The automation is allowing employees to take on tasks and responsibilities that are mentally challenging while simultaneously omitting monotonous and repetitive tasks.”

Professor Seitz also comments that the new positions these employees are being offered are giving them the opportunity to gain leadership skills and motivation for work.

“[This] is allowing employees to take on tasks and responsibilities that are mentally challenging while simultaneously omitting monotonous and repetitive tasks,” Seitz said.