The number of packages each driver carries has nearly doubled over the past five years, managers of Amazon last-mile delivery fleets say.

Blue Jay was developed in a little more than year, versus three years for previous models, because of the ability to use generative AI to make virtual prototypes, said Tye Brady, chief technologist for Amazon Robotics, at the company’s Delivering the Future conference in San Francisco on Wednesday.

“Many years of hard work are now being supercharged... See more

The announcements are the latest in a yearslong effort by Amazon to automate more warehouse tasks, an effort that began with the company’s $775 million acquisition of Kiva Systems in 2012. Around three-quarters of Amazon’s deliveries are in some way assisted by robots, the company has said.

The company is projected to have nearly 40 delivery fulfillment centers equipped with robots by the end of next year, which Morgan Stanley estimated would result in up to $4 billion in cost savings.