Discover
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What is Amazon’s Project P.I.?
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How does Amazon’s Project P.I. spot damage products before shipping?
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What tools does Project P.I. use to scan for defects?
Imagine ordering your favourite book, edible items, or something you need from Amazon. How would you feel if the book is torn or not properly printed in some places? or if the box of edible items have holes in it? Or the gift you ordered and the gift arrived were two different things. It will be very disheartening right?
In such a scenario, Amazon has come up with a solution. An AI that spots damaged products before they are shipped to customers.
Intriguing right…Let’s discover more about this.
What is “Project P.I.” by Amazon?
Amazon’s AI model, “Project P.I., stands for “private investigator.” It uses detective-like tools to scan for defects and ensure that customers are happy with every order they receive. This means that fewer damaged goods will be sent out, and the process of picking and packing orders will be faster. By using AI, Amazon hopes to improve its warehouse efficiency, especially when it comes to inspecting and ensuring that products are of good quality.
Furthermore, Project P.I. is active in “several” North American warehouses and it will be added to more sites throughout the year. Once the defective products are secured, Amazon’s employees further review the products that Project P.I. flagged so they can decide if they will be sold at a discounted price on Amazon’s Second Chance resell site or be donated elsewhere.
What is the average return rate on Amazon?
Below is a table that showcases the return rates in Amazon across different product categories:
| Product Category | Average Return Rate |
| Overall Products | 12% |
| Causal Apparel | 12-18% |
| Electronic Goods | 15-20% |
| High Fashion Apparel | Around 35% |
How does Project P.I. work?
Project P.I. works by scanning each product as it passes through an imaging tunnel, using advanced algorithms to detect problems such as damaged packaging, incorrect colours or sizes, and expired items. Whenever a defect is found, that product will be blocked by the system, so it isn’t shipped out to the customer.
The AI model contains an optical character recognition model that will also check the product expiration dates to ensure no expired products are sent out to customers. Moreover, computer vision models, trained on reference images from Amazon’s products will analyse the colour to ensure it’s what the customer requested.
By segregating defective products before they are shipped out, Amazon says it’s improving the customer experience and focusing on boosting its sustainability efforts by reducing the number of product returns, which increase carbon emissions and waste packaging.
Amazon isn’t the first company to embrace AI models to enhance customer experience. But it is one of the most successful companies to integrate AI at various levels of its operations. Over the years, AI technology has evolved and helps enhance customer experience.
Development and Implementation of AI in Customer Enhancement by Several Companies
How does Project P.I. help with Amazon’s sustainability initiatives?
Kara Hurst, Amazon’s VP of Worldwide Sustainability commented in a company press release, “AI is helping Amazon ensure that we’re not just delighting customers with high-quality items, but we’re extending that customer obsession to our sustainability work by preventing less-than-perfect items from leaving our facilities, and helping us avoid unnecessary carbon emissions due to transportation, packaging, and other steps in the returns process.”
Also Read: 7 R’s Of Waste Management – Steps To Sustainability
Furthermore, Amazon also utilises a Generative AI system equipped with a Multi-Modal LLM to investigate the root cause of negative customer experience. By making defect data more accessible, Amazon helps small and medium-sized businesses that make over 60 per cent of their sales to rectify issues quickly and reduce future errors.
Also Read: Top Six Social Media Marketing Tips For Small Businesses
Summing Up
Amazon has introduced “Project P.I.,” an AI model designed to detect damaged products before they are shipped to customers, enhancing customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. The AI scans products for defects like damaged packaging, incorrect colours, and expired items.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Amazon an MNC company?
Amazon is a Seattle, Washington-based e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence giant.
Who is the founder of Amazon?
Jeff Bezos is the founder of Amazon.
What was Amazon’s first name?
Cadabra, Inc. is the company’s first name.
Who is the CEO of Amazon?
Andrew R. Jassy (Andy Jassy) is the current CEO of Amazon. He took the post on 5 July 2001.
Who is the current CEO of Amazon India?
Amit Agarwal is the current CEO of Amazon India.
Who is the CFO of Amazon India?
Raghava Rao is the CFO of Amazon India.
