Industry Odisha Bureau, Oct 29: Amazon has laid off around 250 employees from its devices unit. Notably, this unit develops products such as Kindle e-readers and Echo smart speakers. Reported on Wednesday, the job cuts primarily affect software development roles.
As per official reports, affected employees were informed through early morning emails and text messages. An email from Amazon Vice President Cherie Robinson said a review of the company’s organisational structure had led to the decision to eliminate certain positions.
Amazon confirmed the layoffs. It said that the move would help it operate more efficiently and align its workforce with its product roadmap. The company did not disclose the number of employees affected in its public statement.
The cuts come amid Amazon’s growing focus on artificial intelligence. In a memo issued in September, the company’s engineering leadership urged developers to adapt to AI. It also warned that those who failed to learn new tools risked being left behind. However, Amazon has not directly linked the latest layoffs to AI adoption.
The job reductions coincided with Amazon’s announcement of five new Alexa-powered devices. This included a redesigned Echo Show 16 smart display, an Alexa Photo Frame and an Echo Time beside clock.
The latest cuts follow around 1,000 job reductions in Amazon’s retail division earlier this month. The company also announced 16,000 layoffs in January, after eliminating 14,000 positions in October last year.
Despite the workforce reductions, Amazon is expected to invest as much as $220 billion in AI this year. The wider technology sector is also facing job cuts, with Layoffs.fyi reporting more than 135,000 tech jobs eliminated this year.
