Amazon's new Proteus warehouse robot is fully autonomous - Engadget

Employees can direct it using plain conversational language. We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Amazon has put more than a million robots into its warehouses but none so far have been able to "talk" with human employees. However, a new version of its Proteus robot can now be directed by workers using plain language thanks to an AI upgrade, Amazon announced. "You tell it what needs to be done. It figures out the priority, the route, the timing," said Amazon Robotics VP Scott Dresser. Proteus looks like a heavy-duty Roomba and is designed to move heavy carts and cover long distances within fulfillment centers. Before, commanding such robots required the use of custom software. Now, employees can assign tasks to the latest AI-powered models using plain language, much as they would with another employee. The extra intelligence also allows the system to work all around warehouses rather than just in the dock areas as before. That means they can be used to transport containers arriving on site, transfer them between workstations and assist employees. Amazon is piloting the new system in its labs, but plans to start using them in Europe in the first half of 2027. It