Artificial Intelligence at Amazon: A Research Project Exploring Drone Delivery and its Impact

Business Research Project
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................................................................3
Chapter 2: Literature review............................................................................................................8
Chapter 3: Research Methodology................................................................................................15
Chapter 4: Timeline of Research Activities...................................................................................20
Chapter 5: Conclusion...................................................................................................................22
References List..............................................................................................................................23
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Chapter 1: Introduction
Research Topic: Artificial intelligence at Amazon
1.1 Background of the research
Artificial Intelligence is the area of computer science, which is devoted to solve cognitive
challenges generally related with human intelligence like learning, problem solving and
recognition of pattern. More than one million drones are legal in the United States. Most of these
technologies belong to people flying them for fun, but a developing number are applied
commercially. Organizations involving UPS, DHL, Google and Amazon are already discovering
ways to carry packages with drones despite of trucks (Galloway, 2017). New researches have
unfolded the fact that switching in this technology will change the process of using energies as
well as resulting environmental influences. Recently, it has been noticed that Amazon is well apt
in delivering items to some of their consumers just hours after order have been placed by using
drones. However, the online trader says that time window would reduce in size to just 30 minutes
if it could deliver packages through drones with the help of Amazon Prime Air service (Murray
et al., 2015). Though it is unclear that when will this service be launched in the market,
specifically since legal rules have yet to set up clear-cut policies around commercial drone use.
There are also various arguments regarding how this program itself would perform and in which
way it would cost consumers.
1.2 Background of the company
Amazon.com, Inc, operating its business as American electronic commerce, is based on United
States. This organization has around 566,000 employees in all their branches. The operating
income of the organization is around US$4.106 billion, total organizational assets of Amazon is
US$131.31 billion and organizational revenue is US$177.86 billion (Amazon.com, 2018). This
organization produced and provides products such as Amazon Appstore, Amazon Echo, Amazon
Kindle, Prime and others.
1.3 Research purpose
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Development of understanding and knowledge in artificial intelligence will set out all the
planning processes and will help in identifying steps for achieving intended research objective as
well as shows whether this current digital technological enhancement in the business world will
be ethical, feasible and attainable in the time scale (Cohen and Feigenbaum, 2014). This study
will also be helpful in setting out developing diffusion of artificial intelligence and digital
technologies throughout various sectors. Precisely, the main purpose of this study is to develop
an understanding regarding Amazon’s use of artificial technology for increasing efficiency rate
of their new delivery system through use of drones. Moreover, one more purpose of this study is
to unfold positive and negative effects of artificial technologies in the organizational productivity
and performance rate across the globe. Concisely, this study will be designed in a way that could
explain policies and tools implemented by Amazon in their current Amazon Prime Air project
and usage of artificial intelligence.
1.4 Aims and objectives
Aim of this study is listed below.
 To understand the manner in which artificial intelligence, a category of digital technology
is affecting the production activity at Amazon
Objectives of this study are listed below.
 To develop knowledge about the application of artificial technology within business
operations of Amazon
 To unfold benefits and challenges of using drones in the product delivery process
 To identify gaps between artificial intelligence and machine learning processes in
delivering productivity of organizations
1.5 Rationale of the research
What is the issue?
The current issue that has been highlighted in this study is centred round digital technology and
usage of artificial intelligence. Recently, it has been noticed that various organizations are
concentrating on developing organizational capability to acquire and implement artificial
intelligence to enhance their productivity level since technological development becomes one of
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the main component and strength to compete against the ever-changing market competition
(Cohen and Feigenbaum, 2014). In this regard, it can be underlined that Amazon has decided on
using drone facilities to make their product delivery system mote timely and efficient as well as
developing artificial intelligence capabilities.
Why it is an issue?
Developing organizational efficiency level is an issue because; many organizations are
indulging on “new economy” that is driven by digital technologies. Technological enhancement
has been an important criterion for several leading organizations to maintain and manage
customer satisfaction level, problem-solving process and IT management (Schwalbe, 2015). All
these factors contribute to the overall operational management process of a leading organization.
For these reasons, implementation and development of artificial intelligence is considered as a
significant issue.
Current position of the issue
Current research in the field of computer science and benefits of artificial intelligence unfolds the
fact that across the glove computer technologies have been developed promisingly throughout
the previous years. Recent review on his field has unfold the fact that developing computer
technologies and artificial technologies in the manufacturing, supply chain and product delivery
operations can help in developing overall organizational efficiency level (Dodgson, 2018). For
example, Amazon has decided to implement drone services for delivering goods to people within
the right time.
What light will these findings shed on this study?
All these research will be necessary in developing understanding and knowledge of artificial
intelligence and how this technology can be helpful in developing organizational efficiency level
standing against the changing business environment. Additionally, findings will develop
knowledge regarding Amzon’s current technology usage to achieve competitive advantage.
1.6 Research questions
Research questions are listed below.
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 What are the initiatives taken by Amazon to implement artificial technologies within its
business operations?
 What are the major benefits and difficulties of using drones in the product delivery
system?
 How gap between artificial intelligence and machine learning process will influence the
productivity and performance level of organizations.
 What are the current steps and machineries used by Amazon to develop organizational
capability to channelize artificial intelligence?
Structure of the Dissertation
The research work will be following a particular structure. The entire research work will be
executed in certain chapters that are presented below:
Figure 1: Structure of the Dissertation
(Source: Created by Author)
Chapter 1:
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