Amazon’s lead robotics developer has cautioned against the current hype surrounding humanoid robots, suggesting the technology’s short-term benefits may be overstated despite significant investments from major companies, including Tesla, BYD, and Xiaomi.

Tye Brady, chief technologist of Amazon Robotics, told reporters Tuesday that while robotics will have a substantial long-term impact on society, the focus on human-like appearance may be misplaced.

“We tend to overestimate the benefits of technology in the short run, and underestimate the benefits of technology in the long run,” Brady said, quoting late American researcher Roy Amara.

He emphasised that Amazon prioritises robot functionality over human-like appearance, stating that the company is not committed to pursuing humanoid designs simply for aesthetic reasons.

Brady drew parallels between the humanoid robot hype and the popularity of large language models like ChatGPT, suggesting both technologies appeal to people because they mirror natural human expression.

“I think that there’s something about LLMs that people gravitate to, because it’s in the language that we speak, and it converses with us, and that feels good,” he explained.

“I think there’s an analogy to the human form.”

The skepticism comes as Amazon has been testing humanoid robots in its logistics operations for over a year.

The company began evaluating Digit, a bipedal robot developed by American startup Agility Robotics, in 2023 for recycling empty containers in its fulfilment centres.

Brady described this as a “highly repetitive” task that the robots can handle, though Amazon currently uses only a “handful” of Digit robots across its US operations.

Brady acknowledged that evaluating the robots’ performance and improving their reliability will require more time, noting it’s “too early to even tell how and when we will use them.”

The high accuracy demands of Amazon’s logistics operations, given the scale of goods processed at each centre, present significant challenges for robot deployment.

Industry experts have raised similar concerns about the humanoid robot boom, citing the high costs of the robots themselves, the ongoing need for human supervision, and requirements for charging infrastructure.

These practical considerations contrast with the excitement generated by demonstrations from companies investing heavily in bipedal robot development.

Amazon Robotics, formerly Kiva Systems before Amazon’s 2012 acquisition, announced Tuesday that it has shipped one million robots to Amazon facilities.

These include the Hercules robot, which can lift 567 kilograms of mobile shelving units called “pods” that bring products closer to human workers for order fulfilment.

The company also unveiled DeepFleet, an artificial intelligence foundation model designed to optimise robot movement in logistics centres.

The system, trained on ten years of operational data, can improve robot travel efficiency by 10 percent by adjusting driving routes and reducing congestion at Amazon facilities, according to Brady.

Amazon’s measured approach to humanoid robots reflects broader industry caution about translating technological demonstrations into practical applications.

While the visual appeal of human-like robots generates significant media attention and investment interest, the company’s focus remains on proven functionality rather than anthropomorphic design elements.