Amazon is to end the AI-powered "Just Walk Out" checkout option in its Amazon Fresh stores. It turns out that "AI" means "Actually, Indians" and it isn't working out.
The company's well-known technology lets customers pay for items without standing in line and sends them receipts afterwards. Amazon says it will now be replaced by smart carts that allow customers to skip the checkout line but also see their spending in real time.
While redesigning Fresh stores in the past year, Amazon spokesperson Carly Golden said the company heard from customers who enjoy skipping the checkout line but also wanted to view their receipts and savings as they shopped. Golden said the smart carts will give customers these benefits as well as the convenience of skipping the checkout line.
"The feat is a combination of computer vision, object recognition, advanced sensors, deep machine learning models, and generative AI," it boasted, but the workers in the developing world actually tracking purchases appear to be out of a job.
A report in Gizmodo states: "Just over half of Amazon Fresh stores are equipped with Just Walk Out. The technology allows customers to skip checkout altogether by scanning a QR code when they enter the store. Though it seemed completely automated, Just Walk Out relied on more than 1,000 people in India watching and labeling videos to ensure accurate checkouts. The cashiers were simply moved off-site, and they watched you as you shopped."
When we said it was AI-powered to protect your privacy we actually meant that humans would be covertly surveilling your every move.
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