Why Amazon’s Just Walk Outs Are Getting Better
Amazon is set to reform its push to transform the retail landscape with a significant upgrade to its 'Just Walk Out' technology.
The technology, which allows shoppers to select items and leave stores without passing through a traditional checkout, now boasts improved accuracy and efficiency.
"For retailers, the new AI system makes Just Walk Out faster, easier to deploy and more efficient,” Jon Jenkins, AWS' Vice President for the Just Walk Out technology wrote in a blog post.
“For shoppers, this means worry-free shopping at even more third-party checkout-free stores worldwide.”
This upgrade is part of the e-commerce giant integrating a new multimodal foundation model into the AI system powering its checkout-free shopping experience.
Technological Underpinning
This latest version of the technology marks a significant advancement in AI-driven retail solutions. Initially launched in 2018, the technology was developed using the machine learning and AI available at the time to identify “who took what.”
Previously, the AI system analysed shopper behaviour sequentially—tracking their movement and location in the store, the items they picked up, and the quantity of each—processing each action one after another.
In atypical shopping scenarios, such as when a camera view was blocked by poor lighting or a nearby shopper, this sequential approach could delay purchase verification and sometimes required manual retraining of the model.
The new multimodal model concurrently analyses data from sensors and cameras together, considering variables like lighting conditions and shopper behaviours. This method delivers a higher level of accuracy compared to the earlier sequential processing system.
Perhaps the most innovative aspect of the upgrade is the system's ability to learn continuously.
For instance, if a shopper picks up and puts down multiple varieties of yogurt in different combinations, while another customer reaches for the same item, or if the freezer door fogs up, obscuring the cameras’ view, the new model can quickly and accurately identify the actual items taken by each shopper.
Unlike its predecessor, which needed frequent retraining, the new model can adapt to changes in store layout or product catalogue without manual intervention.
"As we scale, the system will continue to learn from everyday shopping scenarios and raise the bar for accuracy and convenience, delivering the benefits of AI to retailers and customers around the world," Jon noted.
Amazon’s AI shopping ambitions
The announcement follows a period of adjustment for Amazon's 'Just Walk Out' strategy. Earlier this year, the company removed the technology from its Amazon Fresh stores in the US, opting instead for self-service smart shopping trolleys.
Despite this setback, Amazon's confidence in the enhanced technology is clear. The new multimodal foundation model aims to address previous issues, promising to reduce receipt delays and simplify the technology's deployment for retailers.
Amazon has confirmed plans to launch more 'Just Walk Out' stores in 2024 than in any previous year, with the goal of more than doubling the number of third-party stores using the technology.
This advancement in 'Just Walk Out' technology represents a significant leap in the evolution of retail.
By overcoming previous limitations and introducing continuous self-learning capabilities, Amazon has not only improved its own offering but also potentially accelerated the adoption of AI-powered, checkout-free shopping experiences across the retail sector.
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