- Amazon is planning to replace its innovative “Just Walk Out” cashierless technology in larger Fresh stores, a significant shift in its grocery strategy.
- Initially hailed as a pivotal element of Amazon’s approach to groceries, the technology is now being phased out.
- Criticism was directed at Amazon for its utilization of reviewers and video annotators, labeling it as “fake AI.”
In London, shoppers enjoyed the convenience of selecting a variety of items, from meat and dairy to fruits and vegetables, and exiting the store without waiting in line, thanks to the seemingly magical “Just Walk Out” technology powered by AI. This technology, managed by a team based in India responsible for annotating videos and reviewing transactions, is now being replaced in Amazon’s larger stores, as reported by The Information.
Tony Hoggett, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide grocery stores, revealed that future grocery stores will shift their focus to a new feature called “Dash Carts,” enabling customers to scan items themselves. The AI-driven “Just Walk Out” technology was intended to set Amazon apart in its vision of futuristic supermarkets that eliminate the need for queues.
Despite Amazon’s promotion of the “generative AI” at the core of the checkout-free technology, a closer examination of its implementation in nearly 50 of the 64 Fresh stores in the US and the UK revealed a significant reliance on human intervention. Over 1,000 individuals in India were tasked with overseeing a network of cameras, manually reviewing transactions, and labeling images from videos to enhance the AI system. This reliance on human input underscores the labor-intensive and costly nature of AI technology, contradicting the notion of complete autonomy.
While Amazon refuted claims that its Just Walk Out technology heavily depended on human reviewers, stating that their primary role was to annotate video images for machine learning improvement, the necessity of human involvement remains evident. The company emphasized that the technology will persist in its smaller Amazon Go stores in the UK and various third-party retailers across the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada.
The ongoing requirement for human oversight in the Just Walk Out system serves as a reminder that, despite the hype surrounding AI, human input remains essential. Garry Tan, president of Y Combinator, criticized the use of “fake AI” in autonomous checkout systems, highlighting the importance of genuine technological innovation. Similarly, AI expert Gary Marcus drew parallels between Amazon’s reliance on human support and the need for human intervention in AI tools like ChatGPT.
Although Hoggett hinted at the potential suitability of Just Walk Out in smaller shops catering to customers purchasing a few items, its impact falls short of the transformative potential often associated with AI. Amazon’s revenue from physical stores saw a modest 14% increase in the fourth quarter following its significant expansion into the grocery sector, signaling a more cautious approach to AI-driven innovations in retail.
