Amazon Integrates Computer Vision to Identify Defects Prior to Dispatch: Revolutionizing Quality Control

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Amazon will harness computer vision and AI to ensure customers receive products in pristine condition and further its sustainability efforts. The initiative – dubbed “Project P.I.” (short for “private investigator”) – operates within Amazon fulfilment centres across North America, where it will scan millions of products daily for defects.

Project P.I. leverages generative AI and computer vision technologies to detect issues such as damaged products or incorrect colours and sizes before they reach customers. The AI model not only identifies defects but also helps uncover the root causes, enabling Amazon to implement preventative measures upstream. This system has proven highly effective in the sites where it has been deployed, accurately identifying product issues among the vast number of items processed each month.

Before any item is dispatched, it passes through an imaging tunnel where Project P.I. evaluates its condition. If a defect is detected, the item is isolated and further investigated to determine if similar products are affected.

Amazon associates assess items that have been flagged to determine if they can be sold at a reduced price on Amazon’s Second Chance site, donated, or repurposed. This initiative seeks to augment physical checks across numerous fulfilment centers in North America, with an expansion expected in 2024.

Dharmesh Mehta, the Vice President of Worldwide Selling Partner Services at Amazon, explained, “We aim to perfect the customer experience every single time they shop with us.”

“Utilizing AI and product imaging within our facilities helps us quickly identify products that may be damaged and rectify these issues before they are sent to a customer. This benefits not only the customer but also our partners and the environment,” Mehta added.

Additionally, this project is pivotal to Amazon’s efforts in sustainability. By preventing damaged or defective items from being delivered, it curtails the need for returns, reduces waste from packaging, and decreases carbon emissions by minimizing additional transport needs.

Kara Hurst, Amazon’s VP of Worldwide Sustainability, stated: “AI is enabling Amazon to not only meet customer expectations with top-quality products but also elevate our commitment to sustainability by intercepting items that are not up to standard before they leave our facilities. This proactive approach also helps in minimizing carbon emissions associated with the steps involved in returns such as transportation and packaging.”

Additionally, Amazon is implementing a generative AI system that features a Multi-Modal LLM (MLLM) to delve into the underlying causes of unsatisfactory customer experiences.

If there is an oversight where a customer issue is missed in preliminary screening, this advanced system scrutinizes customer comments and reviews imagery from fulfillment centers to identify the discrepancy. For instance, should a customer receive an incorrect product size, it checks the labels on products within fulfillment center imagery to identify the mistake.

This technology proves advantageous not only for Amazon but also for its sales partners, particularly the small and medium enterprises that constitute more than 60% of Amazon’s sales. By offering easier access to data regarding product defects, it allows these businesses to address problems more swiftly, thereby helping to decrease the likelihood of future issues.

(Image reference to Andrew Stickelman removed)

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Tags: ai, Amazon, artificial intelligence, computer vision, generative ai, mllm, multi-modal, project p.i.

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