[Weekend Quiz] 1,000 people behind Amazon's unmanned checkout!?🤖
Hello!
This is "Zawa 4 Channel," delivering daily insights and learning!🏭
The weekend quiz is here again.
This time, based on the news that shocked the world, "Amazon's withdrawal of fully unmanned checkouts," I will unravel the "truth of the AI era" in a quiz format from the perspective of someone with 25 years of experience in the manufacturing industry.
If you think "latest tech is magic," you might get caught off guard...?
Now, can you get the right answer?😎
📝 This week's question
(Difficulty: MAX🔥)
Amazon's pride, the unmanned payment technology "Just Walk Out."
It was touted as "a future store where AI makes all decisions automatically," but which of the following was the "shocking analog work" actually happening behind the scenes?
1️⃣ Because AI couldn't calculate everything, they actually made all customers use self-checkout
2️⃣ In reality, about 1,000 staff members in India were visually checking (reviewing) the footage
3️⃣ The electricity bill for the AI servers was so high that they used candles for lighting in the store
So, which one do you think is the correct answer?
For those who know the manufacturing floor, this might be a story that makes you smile bitterly, thinking "that happens..."
Please take a moment to think about it!🧠💭
💡 Hint
It's called "AI (Artificial Intelligence)," but look closely at the kanji.
The 'kou' (craft/skill) of 'hito' (person)...
(Perfect automation actually doesn't make sense cost-wise🤫)
🔗 Original article here
I talk about the detailed explanation in this article👇
The optimal solution for efficiency learned from Amazon's withdrawal of "unmanned" systems - Deciphering the "winning strategy" of the AI era with 25 years of manufacturing field experience -
📚 Weekend Trivia (Great for conversation!)
Sharing a bit of knowledge related to the theme.
✅ Was the world's first vending machine for "holy water"?
It is said that the device invented in ancient Egypt around 215 BC was the first. It was a mechanism where a valve opened by the weight of a coin, and water came out. The dream of "unmanned sales" has existed for 2,000 years.
✅ Toyota's "jidoka" is written with a different character
In the Toyota Production System, it is written as "Jidoka" (with the 'person' radical) rather than the standard "automation." The 'person' radical is included because "if there is an abnormality, the machine stops on its own (human wisdom is incorporated)." Automation that doesn't stop only creates a mountain of defective products.
🎓 This week's word explanation
[Just Walk Out]
A "checkout-free" payment technology developed by Amazon. It tracks customers using cameras and sensors on the ceiling, completing the payment as soon as they leave the store. It made headlines as a "future experience," but the maintenance costs were enormous.
[The 80/20 Rule (The Wall of Automation)]
A rule of thumb in manufacturing. It states that "80% of routine tasks can be automated cheaply, but the remaining 20% of exceptions (irregularities) account for 80% of the costs." Amazon got bogged down trying to handle this "remaining 20%" with AI.
🎯 Answer Reveal!
The answer is...
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2. 'In fact, about 1,000 staff members in India were visually verifying the footage.'
Wow, this is shocking, isn't it? The whole world was surprised, thinking, "It's human intelligence, not AI!"
🧐 Zawa4's Explanation
According to reports in 2024, Amazon's unmanned payment system was not "fully automated."
When the AI was unsure, about 1,000 workers were remotely reviewing (visually verifying) the footage.
As of 2022, it is said that a staggering about 70% of transactions (!) required human verification.
Why did this happen?
This is the "trap of full automation" often seen in manufacturing.
A child puts an item back on a different shelf
Picking something up and then deciding against it
Items appearing to overlap
To handle these "exceptions (irregularities)," it is overwhelmingly cheaper and faster for humans to look and judge than to keep developing the AI.
As a result of aiming for "100% unmanned," Amazon ended up having to hire "1,000 invisible workers."
On the other hand, Japanese supermarkets (like Trial) and Toyota have chosen the path of "human-machine coexistence," where "people make decisions that only people can make."
"Efficiency does not mean eliminating people."
This news teaches us exactly that.
👋 Summary
So, this time we explained the "behind the scenes of Amazon's unmanned system" in a quiz format!
Before jumping to say 'AI is amazing!', imagining 'who is sweating behind the scenes?' might be the strength of us field workers and a smart way to live.
If you found this interesting or helpful,
I would be happy if you could support me with a 'Like' or 'Follow'🙏✨
See you in the next weekend quiz!
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