See inside Amazon’s robot warehouse

Your browser does not support the video element. Jess Lynn Goss for BI; Rebecca Zissser/BI See inside Amazon’s robot warehouse Your browser does not support the video element. Jess Lynn Goss for BI; Rebecca Zissser/BI At Amazon's sprawling fulfillment center in Tracy, California, robots carry shelves, sort packages, and move carts toward delivery trucks.But this is not a fully automated operation.Thousands of people still work alongside the machines, picking and packing orders, loading trailers, clearing jams, handling damaged items — and stepping in when the automated system hits a problem it cannot solve.Business Insider toured the facility recently to see how warehouse work is changing as Amazon deploys more robotics technology.These photos and videos show how people and robots work side by side, offering a glimpse of a more autonomous future.This is the latest installment of Robonomics, Business Insider's series on the rise of robots and their impact on business, jobs, and everyday life. We've unpacked the investment boom in robotics and spoken to Amazon warehouse workers to see if machines were taking their jobs. Jess Lynn Goss for BI 1 / 17 This is the entrance to Amazon's robotics fulfillment center in Tracy, California. Jess Lynn Goss for BI Jess Lynn Goss for BI 2 / 17 Workers and visitors pass through security gates before entering. Jess Lynn Goss for BI Eugene Kim 3 / 17 The Tracy warehouse spans 1.4 million square feet, roughly the size of 23 football fields. Eugene Kim Jess Lynn Goss for BI 4 / 17 Amazon says its next-generation fulfillment centers are about 25% more productive, and support roughly 30% more skilled jobs. Jess Lynn Goss for BI Jess Lynn Goss for BI 5 / 17 At Tracy, employees stow items in fabric pods that Hercules robots carry to pick stations. Jess Lynn Goss for BI Jess Lynn Goss for BI 6 / 17 Hundreds of Hercules robots carry towering yellow inventory pods to employee workstations. Jess Lynn Goss for BI Jess Lynn Goss for BI 7 / 17 This is Robin, a robotic arm that picks finished packages from a conveyor. Jess Lynn Goss for BI Jess Lynn Goss for BI 8 / 17 The packages are then placed on Pegasus mobile robots. Jess Lynn Goss for BI Jess Lynn Goss for BI 9 / 17 The Cardinal robotic arm then loads the sorted packages into tall metal carts. Jess Lynn Goss for BI Jess Lynn Goss for BI 10 / 17 Proteus, a mobile robot, then carries the carts toward outbound trucks. Loading trucks still remains manual work, with employees arranging packages to make the most of the available trailer space. Jess Lynn Goss for BI Jess Lynn Goss for BI 11 / 17 This is what Proteus looks like up close. Jess Lynn Goss for BI Jess Lynn Goss for BI 12 / 17 Human process assistants oversee warehouse robotic systems, coordinating responses when a chute jams or a robot stops working. Jess Lynn Goss for BI Jess Lynn Goss for BI 13 / 17 Briana Brager joined Amazon about two years ago as an entry-level employee. Now, she's a process assistant who monitors the machines and responds when something goes wrong. Jess Lynn Goss for BI Jess Lynn Goss for BI 14 / 17 When a Proteus robot breaks down, it is sent to this diagnostic center for inspection and repair. Jess Lynn Goss for BI Eugene Kim 15 / 17 Another area of the warehouse is called "Jackpot," where the automated system sends packages that get lost. A human worker determines where each wayward package belongs and returns it to the correct flow. Eugene Kim Jess Lynn Goss for BI 16 / 17 The employee cafeteria at Tracy. The facility employs more than 3,000 people, up from roughly 1,000 when it opened in 2023. Jess Lynn Goss for BI Jess Lynn Goss for BI 17 / 17 Mohammed Khan started as an entry-level picker 12 years ago and is now a senior manager at the warehouse. He said robots streamline work without necessarily eliminating it. "It's not that the amount of work has changed, it's how we approach it." Jess Lynn Goss for BI automation Amazon AI Insider More eCommerce Logistics Most popular Business Insider tells the stories you want to know about the world of business, technology, and finance Business Insider tells the stories you want to know about the world of business, technology, and finance Business Insider tells the stories you want to know about the world of business, technology, and finance Business Insider tells the stories you want to know about the world of business, technology, and finance Business Insider tells the stories you want to know about the world of business, technology, and finance Business Insider tells the stories you want to know about the world of business, technology, and finance Eugene is Business Insider’s Chief Tech Correspondent, where he leads coverage of Amazon. His reporting spans the company’s retail and logistics operations to AWS, Alexa, and its internal culture.Previously, he worked at CNBC, Fortune Magazine Korea, and Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun. He holds degrees from NYU and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.In 2022, Eugene reported on internal documents indicating that Amazon allegedly used deceptive tactics to enroll customers in Prime and made cancellation difficult. The Federal Trade Commission sued Amazon the following year, citing his reporting. The case ended in a record $2.5 billion settlement in 2025.His work has received multiple honors, including the SF Press Club’s Bay Area Journalism Award and SPJ NorCal’s Excellence in Journalism Award.Eugene lives in the Bay Area. Contact him via email at ekim@businessinsider.com, or Signal, Telegram, or WhatsApp at 650-942-3061. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.