Name: Amazon cuts 14,000 jobs, prepares for wide adoption of AI
Uploaded: 2025-10-28T18:05:36.438Z
Duration: 3 min 20 s
Description: Online retail giant Amazon has announced it will cut about 14,000 corporate jobs as the company ramps up spending on artificial intelligence while cutting costs elsewhere.

Online retail giant Amazon has announced it will cut about 14,000 corporate jobs as the company ramps up spending on artificial intelligence while cutting costs elsewhere.

San Francisco

The release of Open AI's ChatGPT has accelerated the development of artificial intelligence and warnings about its impact on society.

Rise of AI

Amazon has announced it will cut 14,000 corporate jobs as part of a restructuring effort linked to the adoption of artificial intelligence technologies. The company stated that the layoffs are intended to create a leaner organization with fewer layers, allowing for faster decision-making and improved efficiency.

The job cuts represent about 4% of Amazon's corporate workforce, though the company did not specify which geographic regions would be most affected. Most impacted employees will have 90 days to seek new roles within the company. Amazon's leadership has cited AI as a key driver behind the changes, with expectations that automation will continue to reshape its workforce in the coming years.

Amazon cuts 14,000 jobs, prepares for wide adoption of AI

Well, online retail giant Amazon announced mass layoffs today. It is cutting 14,000 corporate jobs as it prepares for the arrival of AI technology. The company has been restructuring its workforce across multiple divisions in recent months. The CBC's Anis Heidari is following the story for us from Calgary. He joins me now. Hey, Anis. So what details do we have about Amazon and these cuts? The 14,000 jobs are on the corporate side of the company. We don't have specific ideas as to where they are geographically. So we don't know how many of these jobs might be in Canada. Amazon didn't provide those details when CBC News asked. The company's current CEO, who took that job in 2021, he's generally regarded, though, to be aggressively cutting costs at Amazon. And in an online post we did hear from the company, part of what they wrote was this. We are convinced that we need to be organized more leanly with fewer layers and more ownership to move as quickly as possible for our customers and business. So I mean, you can deconstruct some of that corporate language there into, you know, we want fewer people working here to make it easier for us to get stuff done, at least from Amazon's perspective. Now, these job cuts won't take effect right away. There are reports that people at the company are being told today if they'll be losing their jobs. Most workers will be given 90 days to look for a new position internally. It's also important to keep in mind these 14,000 jobs come out of more than 350,000 corporate employees and Amazon's total global workforce, when you take in everyone who works for them, more than one and a half million people. So when we look at their corporate roles alone, you know, that's things like HR or people who maybe work at desks in some way. That's about a 4% reduction in those employees. This is not nothing, though. Amazon is still a huge global employer. And it's also not nothing, too, when you look at AI technology as what is sort of perhaps triggering some of this move here. You touched on this a little bit about why Amazon is making this move. What more do we know? We do know that artificial intelligence is a driver of these job cuts, at least from what we've seen in statements from Amazon, and also what they've been saying over the past few months. So earlier this year, the CEO had said he expected generative AI would reduce Amazon's corporate workforce, the folks who they are cutting right now. And earlier this year, he had said he expected AI would cut that workforce within the next few years. In emails to employees, the company has said it's reducing bureaucracy and it's shifting resources around through these cuts. Here's how a U.S.-based tech recruiter sees things. Big tech is creating headcount for horsepower, being able to leverage AI into our day-to-day jobs, whether it's HR or legal or engineering, has really upgraded efficiency. We're also going to see financial results for the last quarter from Amazon on Thursday. So there could be some more clues in there about what parts of the company are growing, what parts are making money, what parts maybe aren't making money, and where they're going to be putting their investments in the future as well. Thanks for this, Anis. That is the CBC's Anis Heidari in Calgary.

Israeli planes and tanks pounded areas in eastern Gaza on Thursday (October 30), Palestinian residents and witnesses said, a day after Israel said it remained committed to a U.S.-backed ceasefire despite launching more lethal bombardments in the territory.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Israel strikes Gaza after asserting commitment to ceasefire

In the Netherlands, the centrist D66 party looks on course to beat the far right in the national election. Exit polls have predicted Rob Jetten's party will claim victory, which could lead him to become the country's youngest ever prime minister.

Amsterdam

Dutch centrist party wins big in election as far right loses support

President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military on Thursday (October 30) to immediately resume testing nuclear weapons after a gap of 33 years, minutes before beginning a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Washington

Trump tells Pentagon to resume testing U.S. nuclear weapons

President Trump said he's reached a deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping that could be signed "very soon." Mr. Trump says the U.S. will reduce tariffs on Chinese goods by 10% as China works to reduce the flow of fentanyl.

Global Tariffs

Trump says he's reached a deal with China's Xi

President Trump will hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This is their first face-to-face since Mr. Trump returned to the White House. Jessi Mitchell anchors this Special Report.

Gyeongju-si

Trump, Xi Jinping meet face-to-face in South Korea over trade

The Bank of Canada made a 25-basis-point cut to its key interest rate while governor Tiff Macklem suggested rates will hold where they are as long as inflation stays in the target range of two per cent.

Ottawa

Bank of Canada cuts key interest rate to 2.25%

After leaving Jamaica with widespread power outages and flooding, Melissa caused fatal flooding in Haiti that has killed 25 people and hit Cuba with a storm surge.

Port-au-Prince

Hurricane Melissa causes floods in Haiti, killing at least 25

Fentanyl production tops the agenda as the U.S. and China discuss curbing exports tied to the deadly opioid crisis.

Fentanyl crackdown central in U.S.-China talks

APEC members face economic uncertainty amid rising US-China rivalry—South Korea prepares for potential fallout from high-stakes talks.

U.S.-China trade tensions leave South Korea navigating APEC fallout

President Putin announced that the Poseidon super torpedo was successfully tested and cannot be intercepted, marking a new stage in Russia’s naval capabilities.

Moscow

Russia says its successfully tested nuclear-capable underwater drone

The Justice Department has put D.C. prosecutors on leave after they submitted a court memo describing those who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021 as "rioters." The filing was in a case involving Taylor Taranto, who was part of the Capitol riot and is currently facing unrelated weapons charges.

DOJ sidelines prosecutors over Jan. 6 'rioters' court filing

Sean Grayson, the former Illinois sheriff's deputy who shot and killed Sonya Massey in her home in 2024, was found guilty of second-degree murder.

Illinois

Ex-officer found guilty of murder in Sonya Massey shooting

President Donald Trump is sending America's largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean to help stop small boats he says are transporting drugs to the U.S. Trump says the U.S. is in "armed conflict" with Venezuelan drug cartels.

U.S. masses more naval forces off coast of Venezuela

The U.S. Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it will lower its benchmark interest rate by 0.25 percentage points in its second straight cut.

Fed lowers interest rates by 0.25 percentage points

The police operation was one of the most violent in Brazil’s recent history, with human rights organizations calling for investigations into the deaths.

Rio de Janeiro

Raid on Rio drug trafficking gang leaves at least 64 dead

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Cuba on Wednesday after ripping through Jamaica. CBS News' Jarred Hill has more details.

Havana

Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in Cuba after slamming Jamaica

U.S. President Donald Trump landed in South Korea on Wednesday (October 29) for the final leg of his Asia trip, optimistic about striking a trade war truce with Chinese President Xi Jinping after summit talks with South Korea's Lee Jae Myung.

Busan

Trump lands in South Korea, hopes to strike deal with China's Xi

The U.S. Embassy in Mali is urging all American citizens to leave the country immediately, warning of rising terror threats and a worsening fuel crisis caused by a jihadi blockade.

Bamako

U.S. Embassy urges Americans to leave Mali immediately

Israeli planes launched strikes in Gaza on Tuesday (October 28) after Israel accused the militant group Hamas of violating a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory, marking the latest test of a fragile deal brokered earlier this month by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Israel strikes Gaza after accusing Hamas of violating ceasefire

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Tuesday (October 28) that the artificial intelligence chip leader will build seven new supercomputers for the U.S. Department of Energy, and said the company has $500 billion in bookings for its AI chips.

Nvidia will build AI supercomputers for U.S. Energy Department

25 states are suing the Trump administration to stop federal food aid from being suspended amid the government shutdown. All but two of those states, Nevada and Vermont, have a democratic governor.

25 states sue Trump administration over SNAP food stamp funding freeze

A federal judge is ordering a top Border Patrol official in charge of operations in Chicago to give nightly reports to the court after agents were accused of potentially violating limits on their arrest and crowd control tactics.

Chicago

Judge admonishes ICE leader in Chicago after violations

The U.S. military struck four more alleged drug vessels on Monday, killing at least 14 people and leaving one survivor. It marks the 11th time in under two months the U.S. has carried out strikes on vessels allegedly trafficking narcotics.

Caracas

Latest U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats kill at least 14 people

Major League Baseball says it's weighing a ban on all prop betting, which is a wager on an individual player or event that isn't necessarily tied to the outcome.

Los Angeles

MLB weighing ban on all prop betting

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has ordered the military to carry out powerful strikes on the Gaza Strip. This comes after Israel accused Hamas of violating their fragile peace deal by returning the wrong remains of a hostage.

Netanyahu orders strikes on Gaza over wrong hostage remains

Hurricane Melissa, a massive Category 5 storm, made landfall in Jamaica, barreling in from the Atlantic with 185 mph sustained winds, the National Hurricane Center said. CBS News meteorologist Jessica Burch has more.

Kingston

Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in Jamaica

The ASEAN bloc of Southeast Asian nations and China signed an upgrade to their free trade agreement, which includes sections on digital, the green economy and other new industries, Beijing's Commerce Ministry said.

Kuala Lumpur

China and ASEAN, hit by U.S. tariffs, sign upgraded free trade pact

President Trump met with new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday and signed a trade agreement that the countries made over the summer. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio has the latest.

Tokyo

Trump touts trade deals with Japan, heaps praise on new prime minister

Argentina's president, Javier Milei's party, has won a decisive victory in Sunday's mid-term elections. The vote is seen as a support for his economic reforms and drastic austerity measures. In recent weeks, U.S. President Donald Trump had pledged a 40-billion-dollar bailout to bolster Argentina's failing economy and had endorsed Milei publicly.

Buenos Aires

Argentine markets jump after Milei party victory

Venezuela is accusing the U.S. of preparing a false flag attack as the U.S. continues to escalate its military presence in the Caribbean after carrying out multiple deadly strikes on boats the Trump administration said were carrying drugs.

Amazon cuts 14,000 jobs, prepares for wide adoption of AI

Breakdown

See The Full Story

Rise of AI