Amazon Ring Makes AI Proficiency a Requirement for Employee Promotions

If Amazon Ring staff want a promotion, they must now prove they've used AI

To move up the corporate ladder at Amazon's smart-home businesses, employees will now have to show AI use and those in management positions will have to prove they are accomplishing "more with less" using the technology.. The new policy, which starts in the third quarter of this year, was announced by Ring founder Jamie Siminoff, who oversees Amazon's Ring and Blink security cameras, Key in-home delivery service, and Sidewalk wireless network, in an email Wednesday detailing that all promotion applications at the tech giant's RBKS organization must now detail how employees are using AI to perform their duties. A Ring spokesperson confirmed the promotion initiative in a statement to Fortune. Siminoff's rule, however, only applies to RBKS employees, not Amazon at large. The change comes two months after Siminoff returned to Amazon, replacing former RBKS division leader Liz Hamren. His return to the company came amid a broader push by CEO Andy Jassy to re-embrace Amazon's startup roots. Siminoff's AI policy, according to a copy of the email seen by Business Insider, is meant to reward "innovative thinking" and promote a culture of speed and efficiency, both key tenets of Jassy's current vision for Amazon. In his email, Siminoff outlined that employees seeking a promotion would now have to describe how they have used generative AI or other AI tools to improve operational efficiency or customer experience. Employees will also be asked to provide examples of AI projects they've worked on and these projects' outcomes. For managers, Siminoff wrote that they would need to demonstrate how they've used AI to accomplish "more with less," while reducing or not expanding headcount. The policy appears in line with comments made by Jassy last month that AI would reduce the tech company's workforce due to improved efficiency. Other Big Tech companies are making similar changes. Shopify announced in April that before managers could hire anyone new, they would have to prove AI couldn't do a job better. And Microsoft has begun asking some managers to evaluate employees based on their use of internal AI tools. Siminoff's latest change is one of several at Amazon's RBKS pushing for deeper integration of AI and better efficiency. Since June, he's encouraged employees to use AI at least once a day to improve productivity. "We are reimagining Ring from the ground up with AI first," Siminoff wrote in a recent email to staff obtained by Business Insider. "It feels like the early days again -- same energy and the same potential to revolutionize how we do our neighborhood safety."

Amazon Ring Staff Reportedly Must Prove That They Use AI To Get Promoted

Ring founder Jamie Siminoff is back at Amazon after a two-year break, now leading the tech giant's home security camera division as a VP. The division is called RBKS for its entities: Ring, Blink, Key (in-home delivery service), and Sidewalk (wireless network). And according to an email viewed by Business Insider, if employees at RBKS want a promotion, their applications will now have to describe how they use AI at work. This is meant to reward "innovative thinking" and promote speed and efficiency, Siminoff wrote. Related: 'No Longer Optional': Microsoft Staff Mandated to Use AI at Work "When we combine innovative technology with our missions, we create something truly special," Siminoff wrote in the email viewed by Business Insider. Siminoff famously pitched his video doorbell company, then called "Doormat," on "Shark Tank" in 2013 and left without a deal. Then, after the company was acquired in 2018 for a reported $1 billion by Amazon, he went back on the show, this time as a Shark investor, sitting alongside Kevin O'Leary and Mark Cuban, the same people who rejected him years prior. Amazon isn't the only tech giant that's requiring the use of AI for promotions and performance reviews. In June, Microsoft also began considering formal metrics for evaluating how much employees use AI during the workday. Julia Liuson, president of the developer division at Microsoft, reportedly sent an email to managers that said "using AI is no longer optional," and the time spent using internal AI tools, both in-house and from the competition, should be measured in employee performance reviews.

Need a promotion at Amazon? Show your AI skills first - The Economic Times

An internal email stated that employees are also required to attach or cite specific AI projects they have worked on, along with measurable outcomes. Managers must also report how AI tools were leveraged at work to boost productivity at scale, which could potentially reduce the company's headcount.Amazon has reportedly made it a requirement for employees in several units, including smart home security brands Ring and Blink, to demonstrate their use of artificial intelligence (AI) when applying for promotions. A Business Insider report on Thursday revealed that Jamie Siminoff, the founder of Ring, announced that promotion applications within the organisation must include data on employees' AI usage at work. An internal email stated that employees are also required to attach or cite specific AI projects they have worked on, along with measurable outcomes. Managers must also report how AI tools were leveraged at work to boost productivity at scale, which could potentially reduce the company's headcount. A Ring spokesperson clarified in the report that these changes currently apply only to Amazon's RBKS employees (Ring, Blink, Key, and Services), not to the rest of the company. Amazon's AI-led growth Siminoff rejoined Amazon in April after a two-year hiatus, with a mission to promote "innovative thinking" and enhance speed and efficiency in the workplace. Upon his return, Siminoff hinted at plans to leverage AI and innovation. "The AI transformation happening right now is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and I think we're super well positioned with helpful and practical AI features like Smart Video Search. It's just the start here -- we're just scratching the surface of what we can do with AI -- and I look forward to digging into this with the team even more," he said. He also shared his vision after his return to the company. "Invention is my true passion -- I love looking at what we can invent for our neighbors, which is what I've always called our customers." "I tend not think in terms of, 'in X years, we're going to build this.' Instead, I try to think about finite truths," he added. Ring, founded fourteen years ago by Siminoff, is best known for inventing the video doorbell -- a device that lets homeowners see, hear, and speak to visitors remotely using live video and two-way audio via a smartphone. Siminoff also oversees other Amazon units such as Blink, the in-home and in-garage delivery service Amazon Key, and the Sidewalk team, which extends the range and connectivity of smart devices like Echo. AI replacing humans As AI becomes deeply integrated across industries, some tech leaders are pushing the boundaries. Last month, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told employees that AI would gradually reduce the corporate workforce as more AI tools and agents are deployed throughout operations. The note did not outline which teams or roles would be affected. Amazon employs over 1.56 million people globally. Earlier this year, the ecommerce major said it plans to cut 14,000 managerial positions globally by early 2025 as part of a broader effort to reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. The broader picture In the last two years, large technology players have been acquiring AI startups for their technology teams. Microsoft paid $650 million in a licensing deal to Inflection AI, whose cofounder Mustafa Suleyman is now heading Microsoft AI. In a similar licensing deal, Amazon hired AI startup Adept cofounder David Luan and others who joined Amazon's AGI team. In May, ET reported that Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski and Zoom's Eric Yuan are among the first to experiment with AI versions of themselves for public-facing presentations. At Klarna, an AI-powered avatar of Siemiatkowski handled most of the fintech firm's recent earnings call -- with only subtle giveaways, such as a slightly out-of-sync voice, hinting that it wasn't the real CEO.

Amazon Ring Is Making AI A Job Requirement -- Starting With Promotions - Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN)

Amazon.com Inc. AMZN has implemented a new policy at its Ring division, requiring employees to demonstrate their use of artificial intelligence (AI) as part of the promotion process. What Happened: The new policy was announced by Jamie Siminoff, the founder of Ring, on Wednesday, according to a Fortune report. It mandates that all promotion applications within Amazon's RBKS organization must now include details on how AI is utilized in their roles. Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox. A spokesperson for Ring confirmed the policy change to Fortune, emphasizing that it applies solely to RBKS employees and not the entire Amazon workforce. Amazon RBKS includes the company's Ring, Blink, Key and Services departments. This initiative follows Siminoff's return to Amazon two months ago, replacing former RBKS leader Liz Hamren. His comeback aligns with CEO Andy Jassy's broader strategy to reconnect with Amazon's startup ethos. See Also: Inside Trump's Oval Office Crypto Push: Why Did 11 Republicans Suddenly Change Their Vote? - Benzinga Siminoff's email, as seen by Business Insider, highlights the aim to foster "innovative thinking" and a culture of speed and efficiency, aligning with Jassy's vision for the company. Employees seeking promotions must now detail their use of generative AI or other AI tools to enhance efficiency or customer service, providing examples and outcomes of AI projects. Managers are required to showcase how they achieve "more with less" using AI, without increasing headcount. This move echoes Jassy's recent comments on AI's role in workforce reduction due to efficiency gains. Other tech giants, like Shopify Inc. SHOP and Microsoft Corp. MSFT, are implementing similar AI-focused policies. Why It Matters: This policy shift at Amazon Ring is part of a larger trend in the tech industry, where companies are increasingly integrating AI into their operations. Recently, Amazon's Ring launched AI-powered video descriptions to enhance home security. Moreover, the AI landscape is rapidly evolving, with startups and major corporations alike investing heavily in AI infrastructure. For instance, AI startups are securing significant venture debt to expand their capabilities, while Meta Platforms Inc. META has announced plans to invest "hundreds of billions" into AI clusters. Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Photo courtesy: Shutterstock AMZNAmazon.com Inc $226.000.95% Stock Score Locked: Edge Members Only Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Unlock Rankings Edge Rankings Momentum 69.25 Growth 97.12 Quality 66.65 Value 49.65 Price Trend Short Medium Long Overview METAMeta Platforms Inc $704.150.39% MSFTMicrosoft Corp $510.13-0.31% SHOPShopify Inc $127.240.39% Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs