Amazon has taken a significant step toward fully autonomous fulfillment centers with the unveiling of its upgraded Proteus robot, powered by advanced conversational AI. The announcement was made during a June 4 event in Dartford, England, where the e-commerce giant showcased the robot’s ability to respond to natural language commands, marking a major leap in warehouse automation.
The upgraded Proteus is no longer confined to dock operations. Unlike its predecessor, which was limited to hauling carts up to 400 kilograms in 25 U.S. sites, the new version can roam entire fulfillment centers, moving containers from arrival to individual workstations and between delivery stations. Warehouse workers can simply speak or type instructions in plain English, and the robot autonomously determines the optimal route, prioritizes tasks, and manages timing. Scott Dresser, VP of Amazon Robotics, emphasized, “You tell it what needs to be done. It becomes your assistant for material movement.”
This robotics push is part of a broader €10 billion ($11.6 billion) investment plan targeting Amazon’s European logistics and delivery network. The company aims to build more than 25 sub-same-day delivery sites across Europe while creating 25,000 new warehouse jobs. The Proteus rollout in Europe is expected in the first half of 2027, following current lab tests. Alongside Proteus, Amazon is scaling other robotic systems: Vulcan, its first touch-sensing robot, has moved from Spokane, Washington, to Hamburg, Germany, and STARK, a heavy-lifting robot, will be deployed in 15 European sites by 2027.
Amazon’s automation efforts are vast, with over one million robots already deployed globally. The company insists automation has led to hundreds of thousands of new hires in maintenance and engineering, although it also cut nearly 30,000 positions last year across retail, AWS, and other divisions. The new Proteus is designed to take over physically demanding tasks, allowing human workers to shift to inventory management and quality control. The first real-world European test is scheduled for early 2027, with no official U.S. deployment date yet announced.
