Amazon HR Lead Uses AI to Write 100,000 Lines of Code After 25-Year Hiatus
Amazon's HR leader, 25 years after last coding, used AI tools to write 100,000 lines of code and build apps, as the company promotes AI training for all employees.
The post detailed the success of the internal competition, which saw more than 1,500 employees participate within a few weeks. One employee reportedly built an app that turned a nearly four-hour manual process into a one-second automated check, saving tens of thousands of hours annually. Another created a desktop pet named Momo that keeps tasks, reminders, and shortcuts easily accessible. The HR leader, who did not identify herself by name in the article, said she has since written more than 100,000 lines of code with AI assistance, noting that the more she works with these tools, the more they expand her capabilities rather than replace them.
According to the blog post, Amazon provides all employees with access to AI tools, including an internal workplace assistant called Aza that helped the executive take her first step when she did not know how to begin building the submission app. The company also offers free AI training to every employee and covers the full cost of one AWS AI certification exam per year, with options ranging from foundational concepts to professional-level generative AI.
Long-time Slashdot reader theodp noted that seven months ago the same HR lead used Amazon News to announce the elimination of 16,000 corporate jobs, a move that CNBC said coincided with a push to invest heavily in artificial intelligence. The job reductions came after a previous round of layoffs in October, when 14,000 employees were let go across Amazon's corporate workforce. At the time, the company indicated the cuts would continue in 2026 as it found additional places to remove layers.