TLDR
- AMZN closed at $231.62 on Sept. 17, down 1.04%.
- Amazon launches AI agent in Seller Assistant to automate tasks.
- 1.3M sellers have used Amazon’s generative AI tools.
- Company invests $1B to raise U.S. worker pay and lower healthcare costs.
- Fulfillment and seller services generated $40.3B in Q2 revenue.
Amazon.com, Inc. ($AMZN) closed at $231.62 on September 17, 2025, down 1.04% for the day, before edging up 0.64% to $233.11 in pre-market trading.
The performance comes as the company announced a dual set of initiatives aimed at strengthening both its marketplace ecosystem and employee base.
AI Agent for Sellers
At its annual Accelerate conference in Seattle, Amazon unveiled an artificial intelligence agent for third-party merchants. The new tool expands its Seller Assistant platform, first introduced last year, by giving the software agentic capabilities. With permission, the agent can now take actions on behalf of sellers, handling tasks such as coordinating inventory orders, implementing fixes for account issues, and developing growth plans.
Amazon introduces AI agent to help sellers with tedious tasks https://t.co/BLRePijZjk
— CNBC (@CNBC) September 17, 2025
Amazon emphasized that these features will free merchants to focus on product innovation and customer relationships, while AI manages routine operations. Generative AI tools for sellers have already proven popular, with 1.3 million merchants using the automated listing generator. This tool can create up to 70% of a product listing, cutting time and costs for small businesses.
Dharmesh Mehta, Amazon’s vice president of worldwide selling partner services, described Seller Assistant as “a team of experts” for sellers, providing guidance across listing optimization, pricing, promotions, and supply chain. The company noted it does not plan to charge merchants for Seller Assistant at this stage.
Expanding AI Capabilities
Seller Assistant is powered by Amazon’s Bedrock platform, which integrates large language models from Amazon, Anthropic, and OpenAI. The new agentic AI represents the next step in generative technology, moving beyond simple text and image generation to completing multi-step tasks with minimal supervision.
Outside of Seller Assistant, Amazon’s AI research lab has also experimented with agent tools capable of operating web browsers, indicating a broader push into practical AI applications.
$1 Billion Investment in Workers
Alongside its AI announcements, Amazon confirmed it will invest more than $1 billion to raise pay and reduce healthcare costs for U.S. fulfillment and transportation workers. Average total compensation, including benefits, will exceed $30 per hour. Full-time employees will see annual pay rise by roughly $1,600.
Healthcare costs are also being reduced, with entry-level plans dropping to $5 per week starting in 2026, alongside $5 co-pays. The company highlighted that these changes represent a 34% decline in weekly contributions from employees.
Amazon, which employed over 1.5 million people globally at the end of 2024, said the move underscores its commitment to improving workplace conditions. The company had faced worker protests during last year’s holiday season and federal scrutiny over facility safety practices.
Outlook
Amazon’s seller services remain a major growth driver, generating $40.3 billion in revenue during Q2 2025. By investing in AI-powered tools for merchants while improving compensation for frontline employees, the company is reinforcing both sides of its marketplace engine.
