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Ford Motor announced that it will be laying off an additional 150 workers in Michigan as a result of the ongoing United Auto Workers (UAW) strike. This brings the total number of furloughed workers to 2,730. The UAW strike at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant prompted the new layoffs at a Michigan axle plant. Currently, 16,600 Ford employees are on strike at three assembly plants, including the Kentucky Truck Plant, which is the company’s largest plant globally. The targeted strike against Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis began on September 15.

United Airlines is set to introduce a new boarding order that will prioritize economy-class passengers who have selected window seats. The change, which aims to save approximately two minutes during the boarding process, will commence on October 26. This adjustment comes in response to the increased boarding times experienced by the airline since 2019. By allowing window seat passengers to board ahead of those with middle and aisle seats, United expects to minimize delays and potential disruptions throughout the day. The new procedure will be implemented on both domestic and select international flights.

Amazon has announced plans to bring its drone delivery service to the UK and Italy by the end of 2024, in addition to expanding to a third US location. The specific locations have not been disclosed yet. The company’s new MK30 drone will be used for these deliveries, which has improved range, noise reduction, and weather capability. Amazon aims to integrate the drones into its existing delivery network and work closely with regulators and governments to meet its goal of delivering 500 million packages by the end of the decade.

Amazon has announced that it will now deliver medications via drones in College Station, Texas, as part of its expanding drone delivery operations. Customers can receive free deliveries in less than an hour for over 500 medications, including those for flu, asthma, and pneumonia. This move aims to narrow the crucial “golden window” between diagnosis and treatment, improving patient outcomes. The announcement comes as Amazon integrates its pharmacy division, Amazon Pharmacy, into its operations, following the acquisition of Pillpack in 2018. While drone deliveries are currently limited to College Station, Amazon plans to expand drone operations to additional US cities and countries by the end of next year.

Amazon has announced a partnership with MIT and research firm Ipos to study the effects of robotics and AI on human jobs. As a major employer and long-time user of robotics in its fulfillment centers, Amazon is keen to understand the impact on its workforce. While the company argues that robots reduce physical labor, critics believe they make human jobs more robotic, particularly in highly repetitive tasks. The study aims to explore employee and public sentiment towards the increasing presence of robotics and AI in industrial settings. The research will focus on human-robot interaction and effective collaboration for improved performance.

Amazon has announced that it will start testing Agility’s bipedal robot, Digit, in its warehouse facilities. The testing is in its early stages, and Amazon aims to understand the capabilities and compatibility of the robot with its processes. Despite investing in several robotics firms, including Agility, Amazon has not confirmed whether Digit will be deployed in its warehouses, which currently use over 750,000 robot systems. However, Amazon believes that Digit’s ability to move, grasp, and handle items in warehouses can be beneficial for tasks like tote recycling. The company is also ramping up robot production with a new factory in Oregon.

Nvidia and several other chipmakers experienced a drop in shares as the U.S. implemented stricter restrictions on the export of AI chips to China. The demand for AI products and services has fueled the growth of chip stocks over the past year. The new restrictions, which go beyond previous measures introduced by the Biden administration, prohibit the sale of certain Nvidia chips to China. These measures aim to control China’s access to computing power due to concerns over potential military uses. While Nvidia anticipates a long-term sales decrease, the immediate impact on the company’s financial performance is predicted to be minimal.