Amazon's Proteus robot can now respond to voice commands

Amazon has unveiled a new AI-powered version of its Proteus warehouse robot at its "Delivering the Future" event in Dartford, England, on Thursday. The fully autonomous robot can now respond to conversational prompts from human workers, marking a significant shift from the specialized software previously required to direct the floor-level systems. "You tell it what needs to be done. It figures out the priority, the route, the timing," said Scott Dresser, vice president of Amazon Robotics. Unlike the current Proteus model, which operates only in dock areas at 25 U.S. sites, the next generation can work across entire warehouse floors, transporting containers as they arrive, moving them between workstations, and assisting employees throughout fulfillment and delivery sites. The announcement comes as part of a broader €10 billion investment in Amazon's European fulfillment network. The company said it plans to deploy the upgraded Proteus in Europe during the first half of 2027. Amazon also showcased other robotic systems, including STARK, a tote-handling system first piloted in Barcelona that will expand to 15 European sites by 2027, and Vulcan, its first robot with a sense of touch. The investment also includes plans to launch more than 25 sub-same-day delivery sites across Europe this year and expand its ultra-fast grocery delivery service. Amazon also announced a $1 billion training fund by 2030 to help employees develop skills in areas like cybersecurity, software development, and mechatronics. Despite ongoing concerns about automation replacing workers, Amazon emphasized it is "creating new jobs alongside these technologies" and claims to have hired hundreds of thousands of employees globally since introducing robotics. The company currently supports more than 1.5 million jobs across Europe, including 230,000 direct employees, over 400,000 in its extended workforce, and more than 600,000 jobs linked to European small businesses selling through its platform. The investment push follows Amazon's February forecast of a more than 50 percent jump in capital expenditure to $200 billion this year, largely driven by spending on AI infrastructure.