Amazon stopped from replacing workers with drones

Amazon will be prevented from implementing its new drone workforce due to proposed regulations.

New proposals in the US could see online retailers, such as Amazon, being banned from using unmanned aircraft to deliver packages.

According to The Guardian, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) have said that its new rules would not necessarily prohibit automated flight technology, as long as the operator who was in visual contact could intervene and was not responsible for more than one drone at a time. Items are also prohibited from being dropped from a drone or carrying cargo for a third party.

Amazon’s Vice-President of Global Public Policy, Paul Misener, told the paper: “The FAA needs to begin and expeditiously complete the formal process to address the needs of our business, and ultimately our customers. We are committed to realising our vision for Prime Air and are prepared to deploy where we have the regulatory support we need.”

Meanwhile, US Transport Secretary, Anthony Foxx, says: “We know that technology is changing very rapidly. We are not done yet and we are going to continue working to ensure we are moving as quickly as possible but also as safely as possible to ensure that we integrate these new technologies into the airspace.”

The proposals will only affect Amazon’s US business. The online retailer has already expanded its research and development team in Cambridge.

Image courtesy of Flickr Nic Taylor Photography