Amazon unveils new AI warehouse robots as part of 10 billion euro European investment

Online giant Amazon will introduce next-generation AI warehouse robots that are designed to respond to conversational prompts in its European warehouses to improve its deliveries. The upgraded Proteus robot was unveiled by Amazon at an event in its Dartford ​fulfilment center east of London, and is part of a broader 10 billion euro investment in improving its European fulfilment network. 

The new Proteus robot builds on its predecessor and is designed to take on physically demanding tasks, such as moving heavy carts and covering large distances, so warehouse workers can spend more time on managing inventory flow and quality control, according to Amazon. The current Proteus robot, introduced in 2022 as Amazon's first fully autonomous robot and in use at 25 fulfilment centers across the United States, is used in docking areas to move carts weighing close to 400 kgs (882lbs). 

The upgraded version, which will be launched in Europe during the first half of 2027, can travel farther and be used across the entire warehouse, transporting containers from the arrival site to workstations. The next-gen Proteus, roughly the size of a 50-inch flat screen TV, also reacts to conversation cues, making it easier for workers to instruct it. "You tell it what needs to be done. It figures out the priority, the route, the timing," said Scott Dresser, vice president of Amazon Robotics, in a statement. "It becomes your assistant for material movement."

In addition to unveiling the next-gen Proteus, Amazon also presented Stark, a robotic tote-handling system that stemmed from an operations employee idea to improve process and support site safety. The collaborative system is designed to pick full totes from conveyors and place them on carts, reducing repetitive heavy lifting for warehouse workers. First piloted in Barcelona, Amazon plans on rolling it out to 15 European fulfilment centers by  2027. Amazon also showcased Vulcan, its first-ever robot with a sense of touch, designed to handle more complex picking tasks at Amazon's Hamburg facility in Germany.

"This transformation is designed to deliver a step-change in how we support our employees and serve our customers," said Armin Cossmann, vice president of operations for Europe. "Customer expectations aren't slowing down—and neither are we."

As part of its investments in Europe, Amazon is set to increase its European fulfillment center workforce by 25,000 over the next few years. The news comes as Amazon plans to open three new fulfillment centers in France, creating a total of 8,000 new permanent jobs. "Europe is at the center of how we're building our operations for the future," added Dresser. "The investment we're making here, the talent we're building with here, the technology we're deploying here—this is where the next chapter of operations innovation is being written."