Amazon Ring Workers Ordered to Relocate Amid ‘AI-Powered’ Push
(Bloomberg) — Amazon.com Inc.’s Ring division has ordered the relocation of hundreds of customer service workers to central hubs in the U.S. and U.K. amid a companywide push to streamline and automate operations.
Affected staff working remotely will be required to report to offices in Hawthorne, California; North Reading, Massachusetts; Tempe, Arizona; London or London, according to a memo sent earlier this month and reviewed by Bloomberg. Hundreds of workers will have to move elsewhere to keep their jobs, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Amazon’s video doorbell unit aims to transform its customer service department into a “proactive, AI-powered support ecosystem,” the memo said.
A group of workers who deal directly with customers and their supervisors can still work remotely, the memo said. The department also supports Amazon’s Blink camera and home security brand.
An Amazon spokesperson confirmed the relocation requirement and declined further comment.
In June, Amazon Chief Executive Andy Jassy warned that AI tools that can perform human tasks would likely reduce the company’s workforce. Four months later, Amazon announced it would eliminate 14,000 corporate positions.
The latest layoffs have shaken a workforce already grappling with several previous layoffs and an order to return to the office five days a week.
Some employees view relocation and return-to-office policies as efforts to force people to leave without having to pay severance pay from Amazon. The company denies this and estimated in October that severance costs had reached $2 billion as of September 30 this year.
Ring’s relocation order will likely lead to the departure of large numbers of customer service staff, according to one affected employee who requested anonymity to avoid possible retaliation.
Ring founder Jamie Siminoff returned to the company as CEO earlier this year and has made clear that artificial intelligence will play a key role in its future.
–With help from Matt Day.
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