Topline
Jeff Bezos is set to serve as the co-CEO of Project Prometheus—a new artificial intelligence startup he is partially funding—the New York Times reported on Monday, the billionaire’s first significant executive role since he stepped down as Amazon’s CEO in 2021.
Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos will serve as co-CEO of a new AI startup that has been partially funded by him.
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Key Facts
Project Prometheus has already received $6.2 billion in funding—a part of which has come from Bezos himself—the Times report said, adding that it is “one of the most well-financed early-stage startups in the world.”
Citing unnamed sources, the report said scientist Vik Bajaj, who previously served as a director at Google X, the tech giant’s secretive advanced research and development arm, will serve as co-CEO.
Bajaj updated his LinkedIn profile, which now lists him as the Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Project Prometheus, although the startup’s profile page is mostly blank with a blacked-out logo and a description that reads “AI for the physical economy.”
Bezos has not publicly commented on the report, and his recent social media posts have focused primarily on his rocket company Blue Origin’s recent launches.
What Do We Know About Project Prometheus?
While details about the company are limited, the Times report said it will focus on AI that aids engineering and manufacturing across several domains, including “computers, aerospace, and automobiles.” Citing three unnamed sources, the report added that the company has already hired 100 workers, including researchers “poached” from OpenAI, Google’s DeepMind and Meta. It is unclear if any of Project Prometheus’s work overlaps with or impacts Amazon’s own artificial intelligence efforts.