Last week, a cheerful Amazon employee at the opening of a Whole Foods Market in Washington's Glover Park neighborhood asked me if I wanted to start shopping by scanning a QR code in my Amazon app. I opted to use my palm instead, scanning both hands on a kiosk and linking them to my Amazon account in less than a minute. I then used my right palm to enter the highly advanced grocery store and spent the next 30 minutes shopping. I grabbed a bag of cauliflower florets, grapefruit sparkling water, a carton of strawberries, and a package of organic chicken sausages. Cameras and sensors tracked my actions, forming a virtual shopping cart in real time. I left without needing a cashier as Amazon, the owner of Whole Foods, would charge my account later. Amazon acquired Whole Foods for $13 billion over four years ago. The grocery chain has now been fully transformed by Amazon, as seen in the newly renovated Whole Foods store in Glover Park. While Amazon had previously made small changes to the over 500 Whole Foods stores in the US and UK, the discounts and free delivery for Amazon Prime members were the main indicators of change. However, the 21,000-square-foot Whole Foods in Glover Park, along with a prototype store opening in Los Angeles, marks a significant advancement in Amazon's involvement, with the local grocer nearly completely run by tracking and robotic tools for the first time. The technology called Just Walk Out utilizes numerous cameras to monitor customers from above, with sensors placed beneath each individual item for sale. Deep-learning software analyzes shopping behaviors to improve accuracy in charging customers. This technology is similar to that used in driverless cars, as it can identify when a product is removed from a shelf, freezer, or produce bin, itemize the goods, and charge customers upon exiting the store. Anyone with an Amazon account, not just Prime members, can shop in a way that allows them to skip a cash register because the bill is charged to their Amazon account. Amazon has been testing this automation for over four years, initially at 24 Amazon Go convenience stores and several Amazon Fresh grocery stores nationwide. The palm-scanning technology, called Amazon One, is also being used by other businesses, such as a Hudson convenience store at Dallas Love Field Airport and Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken restaurant at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. These stores were considered valuable experiments by Dilip Kumar, Amazon’s vice president of physical retail and technology. The company views Whole Foods as another step in its technological expansion into retail stores. Kumar explained that they identified issues causing problems for customers and then worked backwards to find solutions to alleviate those problems. One common issue they noticed was customers not liking to wait in checkout lines, as it was not a productive use of their time, which led to the development of Just Walk Out. He did not comment on whether Amazon planned to expand this technology to all Whole Foods stores. According to Karen Weise, an Amazon reporter for the New York Times, Amazon operates on long-term strategies and has the patience and resources to implement changes slowly, allowing them to transform various industries over the years. The Whole Foods in Glover Park, which has been a staple in the neighborhood for over 20 years, is more than just a grocery store. Despite facing challenges such as closure due to a dispute with the landlord and a rat infestation four years ago, the store is set to reopen as a Just Walk Out pilot project by Amazon. While the rats may be gone, the neighborhood still has concerns about the store's reopening. The recently renovated store has sparked a lively debate among local residents on the Nextdoor community app and a neighborhood email list. Some residents are divided on whether the store's new technology gives off a "dystopian" vibe or is impressive. Many neighbors fondly remember when the store used to offer free samples and fluffy blueberry pancakes on weekends, creating a welcoming atmosphere. Alex Levin, a long-time resident of Glover Park, believes that people should not dismiss the store's changes but rather understand the benefits and drawbacks of the technology and how to use it to their advantage. He shared an amusing story of trying to outsmart 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 caught on and he wasn't charged for the nuggets. However, some people claimed to have discovered mistakes in their bills and were unhappy about the change from pricing produce by the pound to pricing it per item, bundle, or box. Some people lamented the disappearance of the checkout line, where they used to look at magazines and last-minute items. Many people were skeptical of the tracking technology, with one retired librarian, Allen Hengst, comparing it to George Orwell's novel "1984." Amazon stated that they have no plans to use Whole Foods customer information for advertising or recommendations. Customers who do not wish to participate in the new technology can simply enter the store without signing in and pay with cash or a credit card at self-checkout kiosks. Despite being a loyal customer of the Glover Park Whole Foods, the author felt conflicted after experiencing the changes, particularly after encountering a sign prohibiting photography and videography 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 these were cameras that would track me during my shopping trip. Despite the presence of human workers guiding customers and manning various sections like the seafood counter and produce areas, I couldn't help but wonder how much longer humans would be needed in the store. Amazon, which has faced criticism for how it treats its workers, announced that the responsibilities of employees may change in the future to involve more customer interaction. This indicates a move towards a more self-service model. During a visit to a bakery, I requested assistance in slicing a $4.99 Harvest loaf and was shown an industrial bread slicer for customers. A cautionary label on the machine warned of sharp blades and advised keeping hands away from moving parts. 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 retrieving the same avocado later. If the cameras and sensors were working correctly, Amazon would detect the misplaced avocado and charge me accordingly. When it came time to leave, I could either use a self-checkout kiosk or skip the process altogether. I chose the second option and waved my hand over the exit turnstile. The turnstile's arms opened. An employee mentioned that I should expect to receive my receipt in two to three hours. I left the store feeling uncomfortable, worried that I might be suspected of shoplifting. I received an email from Amazon in my inbox one hour later. The email contained a link that directed me to my Amazon account where I could view the details of my recent shopping experience. According to the email, I spent a total of 32 minutes and 26 seconds shopping and my bill came to $34.35, with the correct charge for the organic avocado.