Amazon cuts jobs in AGI unit as it sharpens focus on key AI projects

The layoffs come as Amazon reorganises its Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) business, consolidating teams and redirecting resources towards projects with the greatest customer impact

Amazon has laid off employees in parts of its Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) team as it sharpens its focus on key artificial intelligence initiatives, Reuters reported. The latest job cuts are part of a series of smaller workforce reductions the company has undertaken since a much larger round of layoffs earlier this year.

What is an AGI system?

An AGI system is a hypothetical form of artificial intelligence that can surpass human intelligence by learning, adapting and operating autonomously. Companies including Amazon, Google, Microsoft and OpenAI are investing heavily in developing such systems, intending to deploy them to tackle complex real-world problems.

   

"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. The spokesperson added that the company is "sharpening" its focus on initiatives that matter most for customers so it can move faster on priority projects. As part of that effort, Amazon has eliminated some roles within parts of its AGI organisation.

 

The company did not disclose how many employees were affected by the latest layoffs. However, according to the media reports, employees working under Adeeb Shanaa, vice-president of Artificial General Intelligence Data Services, and Vishal Sharma, vice-president of AGI Information, were among those impacted. The full extent of the job cuts could not be determined.

Recent leadership revamp

The restructuring follows significant leadership changes within Amazon's AI business. Rohit Prasad, who oversaw the company's AGI efforts, left Amazon at the end of last year, while David Luan, head of the AGI Lab, departed in February. In December, Amazon consolidated its AGI operations under senior vice-president Peter DeSantis as part of a broader team that also oversees silicon development and quantum computing.

 

The latest job cuts come even as Amazon continues to position artificial intelligence as one of its top strategic priorities. The company has expanded its AI offerings across its businesses, including foundation models, generative AI capabilities through Amazon Web Services (AWS), and AI-powered features for its retail and devices divisions.

 

Firms including Microsoft, Google and Meta have also announced targeted job cuts in recent months even as they ramp up spending on AI infrastructure, advanced models and new products.

 

Amazon had cut around 16,000 jobs across the company in January as part of a wider cost-cutting exercise. Since then, it has carried out smaller layoffs across various business units while reallocating resources to areas it considers critical for long-term growth.