Amazon first introduced its “Just Walk Out” technology in 2016. This allowed Amazon Fresh shoppers to select items, scan a code / their payment card and walk out without going to a cashier. Other stores have adopted similar technology. It works by well-sited cameras and the use of software. Yay for clever software and AI!

Well, it turns out that Amazon’s technology wasn’t good enough to do this on its own. Amazon recruited 1,000 staff in India to review camera footage of shoppers to ensure they were charged accurately. In fact, 70% of transactions required such manual oversight. This seems like a technology fail if it worked accurately only 30% of the time. And who knows how many shopper complaints of inaccurate charging were upheld. Not so much artificial intelligence as actual intelligence.

No wonder Amazon is replacing this technology with its Dash Cart, requiring the shopper to scan the items themselves as they go. DIY (that’s “do it yourself” for our non-UK readers) instead of AI.

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