Amazon first introduced its “Just Walk Out” technology in 2016. This allowed Amazon Fresh shoppers to select items, scan a code / their payment card and walk out without going to a cashier.  It turns out that their technology wasn’t good enough to do this without recruiting 1,000 staff in India to review camera footage.

70% of transactions required such manual oversight. Not so much artificial intelligence as actual intelligence.

No wonder Amazon is replacing this technology with its Dash Cart, requiring the shopper to scan the items themselves as they go. DIY (that’s “do it yourself” for our non-UK readers) instead of AI.

If you need advice, contact me f.jennings@teacherstern.com or +44 (0) 20 7611 2338.

 

Author: Frank Jennings