In 2016, Amazon filed a terrifying patent describing a system that places people in cages to protect them from machines.
Described as “an extraordinary depiction of worker alienation and a poignant moment in the relationship between humans and machines,” this patent came to light after a recent study published on Friday.
The patent focuses on robot-only facilities in Amazon warehouses, where humans need access to the machines for repair, maintenance or picking up an item.
There are many areas in Amazon's facilities where there are lots of large, moving machines. The patented system hopes to replace the existing one, placing people in cages that are transported by robotic carts.
According to The Seattle Times, Amazon responded that it had not implemented the technology in the past and does not plan to do so in the near future. On Twitter, Dave Clark, who looks after the company's warehouses and logistics, said that sometimes even bad ideas are filed for patents.
Dave Clark also said that Amazon has already developed a better solution, which is a vest that an employee can wear. This vest ensures that all robotic units moving in the space stop as soon as one of the employees approaches wearing it.
While Amazon has rejected this idea, it certainly presents a frightening picture of how machines could dominate industries and the workplace.
