Last week, a friendly Amazon employee asked me if I wanted to shop at the new Whole Foods Market in Washington's Glover Park neighborhood by scanning a QR code in my Amazon app. I opted to use my palm to enter the store by scanning both hands on a kiosk and linking them to my Amazon account, then scanned my right palm over the turnstile reader to gain access to the advanced grocery store. I spent the next half hour shopping. I purchased a bag of cauliflower florets, grapefruit sparkling water, a carton of strawberries, and a package of organic chicken sausages. My actions were recorded by cameras and sensors, creating a virtual shopping cart for me in real-time. I was able to leave the store without needing a cashier, as Whole Foods (now owned by Amazon) would charge my account later. Amazon acquired Whole Foods for $13 billion over four years ago. The grocery chain has now been fully integrated with Amazon, as demonstrated by the newly renovated Whole Foods store in Glover Park. Amazon had been gradually making changes to the more than 500 Whole Foods stores in the United States and Britain, primarily through discounts and free delivery for Amazon Prime members. However, the 21,000-square-foot Whole Foods in Glover Park, along with a prototype store set to open in Los Angeles, represents a significant step forward in Amazon's involvement. These stores are designed to be largely operated by tracking and robotic technology for the first time. The technology called Just Walk Out utilizes numerous cameras to monitor customers from above. Sensors are located beneath each item for sale, such as apples, oatmeal, and bread. Advanced software analyzes shopping behavior to improve accuracy in charging customers. This technology is similar to the technology used in autonomous vehicles. It can detect when a customer removes an item from a shelf, freezer, or produce bin, automatically record the purchase, and charge the customer upon exiting the store. Amazon has been testing automation technology for over four years, starting with Amazon Go convenience stores and Amazon Fresh grocery stores. This technology, called Amazon One, allows anyone with an Amazon account to shop without a cash register. Other stores, such as a Hudson convenience store and Shaquille O'Neal's Big Chicken restaurant, are also using this palm-scanning technology. According to Dilip Kumar, Amazon's vice president of physical retail and technology, these stores have been valuable experiments. Amazon sees Whole Foods as another step in its expansion of technology into retail stores. "We identified areas that caused friction for customers, and then diligently worked backwards to find ways to reduce that friction," Kumar explained. "We have always noticed that customers dislike waiting in checkout lines, as it is not the most efficient use of their time. This realization led us to create the Just Walk Out concept." Kumar did not comment on whether Amazon planned to expand this technology to all Whole Foods stores. According to my colleague Karen Weise at The New York Times, who covers Amazon from Seattle, the company operates with long-term goals, having the patience and resources to execute changes gradually. This approach has allowed Amazon to revolutionize labor, retail, and logistics over the course of many years. Groceries are only a small part of its goals. The Whole Foods in Glover Park has been serving the neighborhood for over two decades, located near Embassy Row and the vice president's Naval Observatory residence. The store closed four years ago due to issues with the landlord and a rat infestation. Amazon revealed plans last year to reopen the store as a Just Walk Out pilot project. While the rats may have disappeared, the concerns of the neighborhood remain. The recently renovated store has sparked a lively local discussion among residents on social media platforms such as Nextdoor and a neighborhood email list. Some residents are debating the store's new "dystopian" atmosphere compared to its impressive technology. Many neighbors fondly remember when the store used to offer free samples and fluffy blueberry pancakes on weekends, encouraging people to hang out. Alex Levin, a long-time resident of Glover Park, believes that people should not dismiss the store's changes but instead understand the advantages and disadvantages of the technology and use it to their benefit. He shared a story of trying to trick the store's cameras and sensors by placing a box of chicken nuggets in his shopping bag and then returning the item to a freezer, but Amazon did not fall for it and he was not charged for the nuggets. However, some individuals reported discovering mistakes in their invoices and were dissatisfied with the switch from pricing produce by the pound to pricing it per item, bundle, or box. Some lamented the absence of traditional checkout lines, where they could browse magazines and impulse buy items. Additionally, many were wary of the tracking technology, with one individual comparing it to George Orwell's "1984." Amazon stated that it had no intention of using customer data from Whole Foods for advertising or its recommendation system. Customers who do not wish to use the new technology can simply enter the store without signing in and pay with cash or a credit card at self-checkout kiosks. As someone who frequents the Whole Foods in Glover Park, I was eager to see the changes, but I started to feel unsure as I went through the process of scanning my palm and purchasing items. A sign near the entrance reminded shoppers not to take photos or videos inside the store. I looked up at the ceiling and saw numerous small black plastic boxes hanging from the rafters. An employee informed me that those were the cameras that would track me during my shopping trip. There were workers at the entrance assisting customers with check-in, as well as others at the seafood counter, cheese station, and produce areas. Kumar mentioned that the stores would continue to have human employees, but I couldn't help but wonder for how much longer. Amazon, which is being closely observed for how it treats its workers, mentioned that the responsibilities of employees could change over time to involve more customer interaction for answering inquiries. This suggested a potential shift towards a more self-service approach. For example, at a bakery, I had to seek out assistance to slice my $4.99 Harvest loaf and was guided towards a professional bread slicer available for customers to use. A cautionary label on the slicer warned about sharp blades and advised customers to keep their hands away from any moving components. Kumar refused to provide information on the accuracy of Just Walk Out, so I decided to test the technology myself. I conducted an experiment by placing an organic avocado on a pile of nonorganic avocados and then picking up the same organic avocado later. If the cameras and sensors were working correctly, Amazon would detect my actions and charge me for the misplaced organic avocado. As I was leaving the store, I could choose to use a self-checkout kiosk or skip the process altogether. I chose the second option and waved my hand over the exit turnstile, causing the arms to open. An employee informed me that I should expect to receive my receipt within two to three hours. As I walked out, I felt uneasy, worried that I might be wrongly perceived as a shoplifter. I received an email from Amazon in my email inbox one hour later. The email contained a link that directed me to my Amazon account for more information. According to the email, my shopping session lasted 32 minutes and 26 seconds, and my total bill was $34.35. I was also billed accurately for the organic avocado.