Winners and Losers of the AI Revolution: Artificial Intelligence Is Radically Changing the Employment Landscape

Artificial intelligence is becoming a permanent element in the world of work, with Silicon Valley calling it the dawning of a new age. Many people are afraid of losing their job, but Germany is well-prepared. In the northern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana, right next to the prison on the outskirts of Shreveport, looms a gigantic building of concrete and steel. Welcome to the future," reads a colorful greeting painted on the wall at the entrance, right next to the obligatory American flag. It is 9:30 a.m., a busy time of day. Yet the halls and corridors of SHV1, as the building is referred to internally, are completely empty of people. A blueprint for the future," as the site manager calls it. The Seattle-based company operates the largest fleet of industrial robots in the world, more than a million of them, and many are outfitted with artificial intelligence, helping them to lift, sort, search, weigh and scan. Guided and directed completely by AI. Without the massive use of this technology," says Aaron Parness, a former NASA aerospace engineer who now heads up the retail giant's AI robotic department, we would be a different company." The article you are reading originally appeared in German in issue 41/2025 (October 2nd, 2025) of DER SPIEGEL. Amazon, though, also employs people. But their role is changing rapidly.