Amazon has deployed its 1 millionth robot and introduced a new generative AI foundation model with an aim to make its fleet of robots smarter and more efficient. 

Amazon's 1 millionth robot was recently delivered to a fulfillment centre in Japan, the tech giant said in a statement. The Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon's warehouses are likely to have the same number of robots working as people soon.

Amazon's journey into robotics started with its acquisition of Massachusetts-based Kiva Systems in 2012 that led to the creation of Amazon Robotics based on Kiva's technology.

Amazon also said in the statement that its AI foundation model called DeepFleet will coordinate the movement of robots across its fulfillment network. This in turn will improve the time of its robotic fleet by 10% and help the company deliver packages to customers faster and at lower costs, it added.

"Think of DeepFleet as an intelligent traffic management system for a city filled with cars moving through congested streets. Just as a smart traffic system could reduce wait times and create better routes for drivers, DeepFleet coordinates our robots' movements to optimize how they navigate our fulfillment centers," the statement noted.

DeepFleet was built using the company's data sets and leveraging AWS tools, including Amazon SageMaker, it said.

Amazon has been strengthening its robotic capabilities over the years.

Earlier in May, it launched its latest robot Vulcan, its first robot with a sense of touch.

In the statement, Amazon also noted that its Hercules robots can lift and move up to 1,250 pounds of inventory while its Pegasus robots use precision conveyor belts to handle individual packages. It added that Proteus, its first fully autonomous mobile robot, can safely navigate around employees in open and unrestricted areas of its sites.