Amazon AI Chief Rohit Prasad Resigns as CEO Andy Jassy Announces Major AI Restructuring

Amazon’s artificial intelligence leadership is undergoing a significant shift as Rohit Prasad, the company’s senior AI executive leading artificial general intelligence (AGI) initiatives, prepares to leave at the end of 2025. The tech giant confirmed the resignation alongside a broader AI team reorganization, which CEO Andy Jassy described as an “inflection point” for Amazon’s AI and quantum computing efforts.

Amazon AI Chief Rohit Prasad Resigns as CEO Andy Jassy Announces Major AI Restructuring

Amazon Restructures AGI and AI Teams

In a company-wide blog post, Jassy announced that Amazon is consolidating its AGI unit, custom silicon, and quantum computing teams into a unified division. The aim is to strengthen coordination across Amazon’s AI foundation models, hardware, and research, ensuring the company is strategically positioned in the competitive AI landscape.

The expanded division will be led by Peter DeSantis, a veteran Amazon executive and current Senior Vice President at Amazon Web Services (AWS). DeSantis, with nearly three decades of experience at Amazon, will report directly to Jassy, reflecting the heightened strategic importance of this restructuring.

Amazon’s AI Strategy and Competitor Positioning

Amazon’s reshuffle comes amid increasing competition from OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic, which have gained global attention with advanced AI models and consumer-facing tools. Unlike competitors, Amazon has focused heavily on cloud infrastructure, enterprise AI services, and custom AI chips.

Over the past year, Amazon introduced the Nova family of foundation models and continued investment in Trainium AI chips, designed for large-scale AI model training. By integrating AI models, silicon development, and quantum computing under one leadership, Amazon aims to differentiate itself through tight synergy between software and hardware.

New Leadership in Frontier AI Research

Alongside DeSantis’ appointment, Pieter Abbeel, a leading AI researcher who joined Amazon in 2024 after the acquisition of Covariant, will now lead the frontier model research team. This move signals Amazon’s focus on long-term AI innovation and cutting-edge research, beyond immediate product launches.

Rohit Prasad’s Legacy at Amazon

Prasad joined Amazon in 2013 and played a pivotal role as head scientist for Alexa, defining the voice assistant’s intelligence. In 2023, he was appointed to lead Amazon’s AGI efforts, placing him at the center of the company’s most ambitious AI initiatives. CEO Andy Jassy praised Prasad for his passion, leadership, and technical vision, highlighting the impact he made on Amazon’s AI journey.

Looking Ahead

With DeSantis and Abbeel leading the newly unified AI division, Amazon is poised to accelerate its AGI research, foundation model development, and quantum computing projects, aiming to strengthen its position in the global AI race and deliver innovative solutions for customers.