Last week, a friendly Amazon employee at the opening of a Whole Foods Market in Washington's Glover Park neighborhood greeted me with a question about starting my shopping experience by scanning a QR code in the Amazon app. I opted to use my palm for entry, scanning both hands on a kiosk and linking them to my Amazon account in under a minute. I then used my right palm to enter the technologically advanced grocery store and spent the next 30 minutes shopping. I bought a bag of cauliflower florets, grapefruit sparkling water, strawberries, and organic chicken sausages. Cameras and sensors tracked my purchases in real time, creating a virtual shopping cart. I didn't need a cashier; I just walked out and Amazon would bill my account later. Amazon purchased Whole Foods for $13 billion over four years ago. The grocery chain's transformation by Amazon is now fully complete with the renovated Whole Foods store in Glover Park. Amazon had previously made small changes to its more than 500 stores in the US and Britain, such as discounts and free delivery for Prime members. However, the 21,000-square-foot Whole Foods in Glover Park, along with a prototype store in Los Angeles, marks a significant advancement in Amazon's influence, with the stores being largely operated by tracking and robotic technology for the first time. The technology, called Just Walk Out, utilizes numerous cameras to monitor customers and sensors under each item in the store. Advanced software analyzes shopping behavior to improve accuracy in charging customers. This technology is similar to that found in driverless cars and can detect when a product is taken from a shelf, freezer, or produce bin, automatically keeping track of items and charging customers upon leaving the store. Anyone, regardless of Prime membership, can shop without going to a cash register by using their Amazon account. Amazon has been testing this automation for over four years with Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh stores. The palm-scanning technology, Amazon One, is also being used by other businesses such as a convenience store at Dallas Love Field Airport and Shaquille O'Neal's restaurant in Seattle. These stores have served as valuable experiments, according to Dilip Kumar, Amazon's vice president of physical retail and technology. Whole Foods is seen as another step in Amazon's expansion into retail stores. Kumar stated that they identified problem areas for customers and worked diligently to find solutions to ease their difficulties. They noticed that customers disliked waiting in checkout lines and came up with the idea for Just Walk Out. He did not mention if Amazon intended to implement this technology in all Whole Foods stores. According to my colleague Karen Weise at The New York Times, Amazon operates with long-term goals, executing changes slowly with patience and resources. This approach has enabled them to revolutionize labor, retail, and logistics over the years. Groceries are just a small part of its goals. The Whole Foods in Glover Park has been serving the neighborhood for over 20 years, being a vital part of the community near Embassy Row and the vice president's Naval Observatory residence. Despite closing four years ago due to a landlord dispute and rat infestation, Amazon has announced plans to reopen the store as a Just Walk Out pilot project. While the rat problem may have been resolved, the neighborhood still has concerns. The renovated store has caused a lively local discussion among residents on various online platforms, with some debating the store's new "dystopian" atmosphere compared to its impressive technology. Some neighbors fondly remembered the store's previous inviting atmosphere with free samples and blueberry pancakes. One long-time resident of Glover Park, Alex Levin, believes that the community should embrace the changes and understand the advantages and disadvantages of the technology. He shared an amusing anecdote about trying to trick the store's cameras and sensors, but ultimately failing. Others mentioned discovering mistakes in their bills and were unhappy about the change from purchasing produce by weight to purchasing it by item, bundle, or box. Some expressed sadness over the absence of checkout lines, where they enjoyed browsing magazines and last-minute items. Many were wary of the tracking technology, with one individual comparing it to George Orwell's novel "1984." Allen Hengst, a 72-year-old retired librarian, made this comparison. Amazon stated that it did not intend to utilize video and other customer information from Whole Foods for advertising or its recommendation system. Customers who do not wish to partake in the new technology can simply enter the store without signing in and use self-checkout kiosks to pay with a credit card or cash. As a loyal customer of the Glover Park Whole Foods, I had fond memories of the old store and was eager to see the changes. However, as I navigated through the store and encountered the palm scan and six-pack banana bundles, I began to feel unsure. I also observed a sign at the entrance prohibiting shoppers from taking photos or videos inside. I looked up at the ceiling and saw numerous small black plastic boxes hanging from the rafters. An employee then 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 staff behind the seafood counter, cheese station, and produce sections. Although Kumar mentioned that the stores would continue to have human employees, I couldn't help but wonder for how much longer. Amazon, which has faced criticism for its treatment of workers, announced that employees may have their roles evolve to involve more interaction with customers for answering inquiries. This suggests a potential shift towards a more self-service model in the future. A recent experience at a bakery revealed a similar trend, as customers were directed to use an industry-grade bread slicer themselves, with a warning label cautioning about the sharp blades and moving parts. Kumar refused to provide information on the effectiveness of Just Walk Out, so I decided to test the technology myself. I took an organic avocado and placed it among nonorganic avocados. After browsing the store, I returned to pick up the same avocado. If the cameras and sensors were working correctly, Amazon would detect the misplaced organic avocado and charge me for it. When I was done shopping, I could either use a self-checkout kiosk or skip the process altogether. I chose the second option and once again passed my hand over the exit turnstile. The turnstile opened and an employee mentioned that I should expect to receive my receipt in two to three hours. As I left, I felt uncomfortable, worried that I might be perceived as a shoplifter. I received an email from Amazon in my email inbox an hour later. The email contained a link that directed me to my Amazon account where I could view the details. According to the email, my shopping session lasted 32 minutes and 26 seconds, and my total bill was $34.35. I was accurately charged for the organic avocado.