Jassy taps 27-year Amazon veteran to run AGI org which is now definitely a thing (www.theregister.com)

Amazon has announced a significant reorganization within its AI division, appointing 27-year veteran Peter DeSantis to lead a new team focused on artificial general intelligence (AGI). This newly formed unit will consolidate DeSantis's existing teams in AWS, including those working on advanced silicon chips like Nitro and Graviton, alongside Amazon's quantum computing efforts. The move is a strategic effort by CEO Andy Jassy to position Amazon competitively against tech giants Microsoft and Google by integrating AI development into a cohesive framework that spans across all Amazon services, not just AWS. The implications of this transition are profound for the AI/ML landscape. By combining hardware and software expertise, Amazon aims to optimize its AI capabilities in a way that rivals can’t match. The inclusion of quantum computing within this unit indicates a long-term investment strategy focused on innovation rather than immediate gains, potentially positioning Amazon as a leader in both AI and quantum technologies. Furthermore, the appointment of Pieter Abbeel to lead frontier model research highlights Amazon's commitment to advancing foundational AI research, supported by its vast robotics deployment. If successful, this could lead to breakthroughs in embodied AI, leveraging Amazon's unique capabilities and infrastructure.