Amazon spends billions on new AI warehouse robots in Europe
Amazon has taken the wraps off an upgraded, AI-powered mobile warehouse robot capable of responding to conversational prompts. The tech giant unveiled the next-generation machine at its "Delivering the Future" event in Dartford, England, anchoring a massive €10 billion ($11.6 billion) investment into its European fulfillment network.
The new model represents a massive upgrade to Amazon's "Proteus" robot. While current versions are restricted to loading docks at 25 U.S. sites, the new AI-driven Proteus will roam freely across warehouse floors. Instead of relying on rigid programming, workers can simply tell the robot what needs to be done, leaving the machine to figure out its own routing, timing, and task priorities, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The conversational Proteus is scheduled to deploy in Europe in the first half of 2027. It will be joined by "STARK," a robotic bin-handling system expanding to 15 European sites, and "Vulcan," Amazon’s first robot equipped with a sense of touch.
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Alongside the hardware upgrades, Amazon announced a major acceleration of its logistics and services:
Ultra-Fast Deliveries: Amazon is launching over 25 sub-same-day delivery sites across Europe this year, while expanding its "Amazon Now" fast essentials service in the UK.
Grocery Expansion: Same-day fresh grocery delivery, already active in over 2,300 U.S. cities and parts of Tokyo, will soon expand further into Britain and Japan.
Global AI Assistants: Amazon's next-generation AI assistant, Alexa+, is slated to launch in 10 additional countries in 2027.
The multi-billion-dollar European push comes on the heels of Amazon's massive capital expenditure forecast, which is expected to cross $200 billion this year as the company races to build out its global AI infrastructure.
By Aysel Mammadzada
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