Amazon’s famous “Just Walk Out” technology, which allowed customers to bypass traditional checkouts in its stores, secretly relied on Indian human workers doing the work manually, according to a recent report from Business Insider.
Around 1,000 workers in India were responsible for reviewing what customers picked up, dropped off and ultimately left AmazonIt is Just Walk Out compatible stores, according to The Information.
While Amazon touted this technology as a revolutionary achievement based entirely on computer vision, the reality was that a significant portion of Just Walk Out’s sales required manual review by the team in India. In 2022, the report said about 700 out of every 1,000 Just Walk Out transactions would need to be verified by these workers, citing an anonymous source familiar with the technology.
However, an Amazon spokesperson disputed this claim, saying the India-based team primarily helped train the model used for Just Walk Out. “Associates can also validate a small minority of shopping visits where our computer vision technology cannot confidently determine an individual’s purchases,” the spokesperson said, as quoted by Business Insider.
The revelation then comes Amazon plans to phase out Just Walk Out technology to its Fresh Amazon stores in favor of its Dash Carts, according to the report of Information. These smart shopping carts will allow customers to avoid checkout lines by automatically tracking and charging for their selections, providing an alternative to the Just Walk Out experience.
An Amazon spokesperson explained the motivation behind the transition, saying customers wanted additional features such as easily locating nearby products and deals, seeing their receipts while shopping, and knowing their savings. – capabilities offered by Dash Carts, the Business Insider report added further.
Just Walk Out technology debuted in Amazon Go convenience stores. It allowed customers to enter by logging in with their Amazon account, pick up items, return them to the shelves, and leave with their selections finals without interacting with a cashier.
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Published: 04 April 2024, 09:47 IST
