Privacy concerns are being raised as Amazon uses images collected through smartglasses for delivery drivers to improve its AI delivery platform.

On Sept. 30 local time, IT outlet The Verge reported that Amazon-managed smartglasses can capture people, vehicles and private property that enter a driver’s field of view while operating. It said a typical shift for a single driver could generate thousands of images. The collected images are set to be used for Wellspring, a generative AI mapping system.

Amazon developed the smartglasses as a wearable device used for delivery guidance, parcel scanning and taking delivery confirmation photos. When a driver parks at a delivery location, the device activates and displays the route, address and hazards in the wearer’s view. More than 500 delivery drivers have tested it in real-world deliveries over the past 18 months, with cumulative deliveries exceeding 275,000. Amazon plans to deploy 5,000 additional units this year and expand total deployment to more than 20,000 by the end of 2027.

A problem is that the delivery process could record not only customers but also nearby pedestrians and homes. Viraj Chatterjee (비라지 채터지), an Amazon executive, said, "We use the collected data only to improve the delivery process, and the purpose is not surveillance." Asked whether Amazon plans to give customers a right to refuse being recorded, he replied, "We have not considered it yet."

Amazon plans to automatically blur faces and vehicle license plates before a person reviews the images. It did not disclose how long the images will be stored. The outlet reported there is also no separate process for customers to view photos that include themselves or their property, or to request deletion. If a court issues a warrant, the images could be provided to investigative agencies.

Amazon is using Wellspring to learn parking locations, building entrances and mailrooms to refine delivery routes. As AI data collection expands to raise delivery efficiency, privacy debate is expected to grow over what is recorded, storage periods and customer consent procedures.