Amazon has made significant advancements in its artificial intelligence technology by hiring top executives from AI agent startup Adept and licensing their technology. This move is part of Amazon’s efforts to stay competitive in the AI industry, as it faces tough competition from Microsoft and Google.
Rohit Prasad, senior vice president and chief scientist at Amazon, announced in a memo to employees that the company has brought on Adept co-founder and CEO David Luan and other talented team members for their AGI team. Luan will lead Amazon’s “AGI Autonomy” division and report directly to Prasad.
In addition to hiring new talent, Amazon has also invested in OpenAI competitor Anthropic. The company is looking to enhance its Alexa voice assistant with generative AI capabilities. Prasad, who previously led Alexa’s development, is now heading Amazon’s AGI unit to push the boundaries of AI technology.
The deal with Adept includes licensing their technology, including multimodal models and data sets. This technology will help Amazon accelerate the development of digital agents that can automate software workflows. By using Adept’s technology under a non-exclusive license, Amazon aims to provide practical AI solutions to both enterprise and consumer customers.
Adept, founded in 2022 by former OpenAI and Google engineers, quickly gained recognition and support from industry leaders like Microsoft and Nvidia. The startup was valued at over $1 billion in early 2023 and specializes in developing AI agents capable of completing complex tasks autonomously.
As part of the deal, Adept will continue to operate as an independent company, focusing on building agents while Amazon leverages their technology to enhance its AI capabilities. This move reflects Amazon’s ongoing efforts to attract top talent and stay ahead in the rapidly evolving AI industry.
In conclusion, Amazon’s collaboration with Adept and its investment in AI technology signifies a strategic move to strengthen its position in the competitive AI market. By hiring top talent and licensing cutting-edge technology, Amazon aims to deliver innovative AI solutions to meet the needs of its customers and maintain its edge in the evolving technological landscape.
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https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/amazon-beefs-up-ai-development-hiring-execs-from-startup-adept-and-licensing-its-technology/3476907/?amp=1
