Amazon is focusing on using AI to speed up deliveries

Amazon is focusing on using AI to speed up deliveries by minimizing the distance between its products and customers. Stefano Perego, vice president of customer fulfilment and global ops services for North America and Europe at Amazon, outlined how the company is using AI when it comes to logistics. 

While one area is in transportation, such as mapping and planning routes, taking into account variables like the weather, another area is when customers search from products on Amazon to help them find the right goods. But a key focus right now for Amazon is using AI to figure out where to place its inventory. 

Amazon has been focusing on a so-called “regionalization” effort to ship products to customers from warehouses closest to them rather than from another part of the country. But this requires technology that is capable of analyzing data and patterns in order to predict what products will be in demand and where. And that’s where AI comes in for Amazon. 

If a product is nearer to customers, Amazon will be able to make same-day or next-day deliveries, like what its Prime subscription service offers. 

Amazon is also using robotics in its fulfilment centers to help with repetitive tasks such as lifting heavy packages. 75% of Amazon customer orders are handled in part by robotics, the company said.