Amazon laid off some employees with early-morning text messages

Core Points - Amazon has laid off approximately 14,000 employees as part of a strategy to streamline operations and enhance innovation speed [2] - The layoffs primarily affected retail managers in the US, continuing a trend of reductions in that segment [2] - Affected employees will receive full pay and benefits for 90 days, along with a severance package [3] - The job cuts are attributed to rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, despite Amazon's strong performance [7][8] - Amazon's HR chief emphasized the transformative nature of AI, comparing it to the impact of the Internet [8]