Last week, a friendly Amazon employee asked me if I wanted to try using my palm to shop at the new Whole Foods Market in Washington's Glover Park neighborhood. I agreed and quickly scanned both hands on a kiosk to link them to my Amazon account. I then used my right palm to enter the high-tech grocery store and spent the next 30 minutes shopping. I purchased a bag of cauliflower florets, grapefruit sparkling water, a carton of strawberries, and a package of organic chicken sausages. Cameras and sensors tracked my movements and created a virtual shopping cart in real time. I left 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's transformation into an Amazon-operated store is now fully realized with the renovated Whole Foods location in Glover Park. While initially making small changes like discounts and free delivery for Prime members, Amazon has now taken a significant step forward with this 21,000-square-foot store near Georgetown. This prototype store, along with another set to open in Los Angeles, is designed to be primarily run by tracking and robotic technology, marking a new level of Amazon's involvement in the grocery chain. The technology called Just Walk Out uses numerous cameras to monitor customers and sensors to track individual items. Deep-learning software analyzes shopping behavior to improve accuracy in charging customers. This technology is similar to what is used in driverless cars, as it can identify when items are taken from shelves, freezers, or produce bins, automatically record them, and charge customers upon exiting the store. According to Dilip Kumar, Amazon's vice president of physical retail and technology, anyone with an Amazon account, not just Prime members, can use the palm-scanning technology known as Amazon One to shop at Amazon Go convenience stores, Amazon Fresh grocery stores, and other licensed locations. This technology allows customers to skip the cash register and have their bill charged directly to their Amazon account. Amazon has been testing this automation for over four years and sees Whole Foods as another step in its expansion into retail stores. Valuable experiments have been conducted at stores such as the Hudson convenience store at Dallas Love Field Airport and Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken restaurant at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Kumar stated that they identified problem areas for customers and worked diligently to find solutions to ease those issues. One example was customers not liking standing in checkout lines, leading to the creation of Just Walk Out. He did not comment on Amazon's plans to expand the technology to all Whole Foods stores. Karen Weise, a colleague at the New York Times who covers Amazon, mentioned that the company has a long-term outlook, allowing them to slowly transform labor, retail, and logistics with patience and resources. The Whole Foods in Glover Park has been a vital part of the neighborhood for over 20 years, serving as a central hub near Embassy Row and the vice president's Naval Observatory residence. Despite closing four years ago due to a dispute with the landlord and a rat infestation, Amazon has announced plans to reopen the store as a Just Walk Out pilot project. While the rats may no longer be a problem, the neighborhood still harbors concerns and anxieties. The recently renovated store has sparked a lively local discussion, with residents debating on the Nextdoor community app and a neighborhood email list about the store's contrasting "dystopian" atmosphere and "impressive technology." Some neighbors fondly recalled the store's previous inviting atmosphere, where people could hang out and enjoy free samples and blueberry pancakes on weekends. One long-time resident, Alex Levin, believes that people should not dismiss the store's changes and should instead embrace the benefits and drawbacks of the technology. He shared an anecdote about trying to trick the store's cameras and sensors with a box of chicken nuggets, but Amazon was not fooled and he was not charged for the item. However, some individuals mentioned discovering mistakes in their bills and were unhappy with the switch from selling produce by the pound to selling it per item, bundle, or box. They also expressed sadness about the elimination of the checkout line, where they could browse through magazines and last-minute grab bag items. Additionally, many were wary of the tracking technology, with one individual comparing it to George Orwell's "1984." Allen Hengst, a 72-year-old retired librarian, expressed this sentiment. Amazon stated that it had no intention of using video or other customer information from Whole Foods for advertising or its recommendation engine. Shoppers who do not wish to participate in the new technology can simply enter the store without signing in and make their purchases at self-checkout kiosks using a credit card or cash. As a loyal customer of Glover Park's Whole Foods, I found myself nostalgic for the old, cramped, and chaotic store and eager to see the changes. However, my feelings became mixed as I went through the process of a palm scan and encountered the unusual six-pack banana bundles. I also noticed a sign at the entrance prohibiting shoppers from taking 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 long. Amazon, which has faced criticism for its treatment of workers, has announced that employees may see changes in their responsibilities over time, with a greater emphasis on customer interaction to address inquiries. This indicates a potential shift towards a more self-service model in the future. For example, when I visited a bakery and needed my $4.99 Harvest loaf sliced, I was directed to use a professional bread slicer with a caution label reminding customers to be mindful of the sharp blades and moving parts. Kumar did not provide information on the accuracy of Just Walk Out, so I decided to test the technology myself. I took an organic avocado and placed it among nonorganic ones. After browsing the store, I retrieved the same organic avocado. If the cameras and sensors were working correctly, Amazon would detect the misplaced avocado and charge me accordingly. At checkout, I could choose between using a self-checkout kiosk or skipping the process. I chose the second option and waved my hand again over the exit turnstile. The turnstile's arms opened. A staff member at the exit informed me that I should expect to receive my receipt within two to three hours. I left the store feeling uncomfortable, fearing that I might be wrongly perceived as a shoplifter. An hour after receiving an email from Amazon, I clicked on a link that took me to my Amazon account where I found details about my recent shopping experience. According to the information provided, I spent 32 minutes and 26 seconds shopping and my total bill was $34.35. I was billed accurately for the organic avocado.