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Amazon’s Just Walk Out: The Truth Behind Its ‘AI’ Checkout System
Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” stores were hailed as a futuristic breakthrough in retail automation. No checkouts, no scanners — just walk out and the AI would do the rest. The reality? Thousands of humans behind screens manually watching customers shop. Here’s what really happened.
The Pitch: Frictionless AI Shopping
Amazon said it used a blend of computer vision, sensors, and artificial intelligence to track what each shopper picked up and charge them accordingly.
For years, media and tech leaders celebrated the innovation. Customers believed the entire process was handled by real-time AI systems.
The Reality: Humans Tagging Your Every Move
In 2024, The Information revealed that Amazon was relying on more than 1,000 workers in India to watch shopping footage. Roughly 7 out of 10 transactions required manual confirmation.
You didn’t just walk out. You were reviewed, tagged, and charged by people — hours later.
How the System Worked
- You grab items and leave.
- Footage uploads to a global team.
- Human reviewers tag your items.
