Amazon cut jobs in its artificial general intelligence (AGI) division as the technology giant continues to reshape its artificial intelligence business. The layoffs come months after the company eliminated about 16,000 jobs across different teams in January, according to news agency Reuters.
The company did not disclose how many employees have been impacted in the latest round of cuts. However, employees working under some AGI leaders reported the layoffs on online forums on Wednesday.
Amazon said the move is part of its strategy to prioritise projects that will deliver the greatest value to customers. “We’ve been building large AI models for several years, and it remains one of the most important things we’re working on,” an Amazon spokesperson told Reuters.
“We’re sharpening our focus on the initiatives that matter most for customers, so we can move faster on what counts. That focus means some difficult decisions, including eliminating some roles within parts of our AGI organization,” the spokesperson added.
The company stated that artificial intelligence remains one of its biggest long-term priorities despite the job cuts.
What is Amazon’s AGI division?
Artificial general intelligence, or AGI, refers to a future form of artificial intelligence that can match or even surpass human intelligence. Unlike today’s AI systems, AGI is expected to learn independently, solve a wide range of complex problems and perform tasks without constant human guidance.
Many of the world’s leading AI companies, including Amazon, OpenAI, Google, Anthropic and Meta, are investing billions of dollars to develop AGI technologies.
Amazon has spent several years building large AI models and expanding its AI capabilities across cloud computing, software development and enterprise services.
Why is Amazon restructuring its AI business?
The job cuts come after major leadership changes inside Amazon’s AGI organisation. Rohit Prasad, one of the company’s senior executives overseeing AGI, left Amazon at the end of last year. In February, David Luan, who led Amazon’s AGI Lab, also left, reported Reuters.
Following those exits, Amazon reorganised its AI operations. In December, the company placed its AGI efforts under Senior Vice President Peter DeSantis. The expanded organisation also oversees Amazon’s silicon development and quantum computing programmes.
Teams under Adeeb Shanaa, vice president of AGI Data Services, and Vishal Sharma, vice president of AGI Information, were among those affected by the latest layoffs, reported Reuters citing reports from employees on online forums. Amazon has not confirmed the full scope of the reductions, reported Reuters.
