By <\/p>\n
Seattle Times business reporter<\/p>\n
Amazon\u2019s artificial general intelligence organization is the company\u2019s latest target for workforce reductions even as the e-commerce giant continues to heavily invest in AI.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed the layoffs but declined to share specific details, including the number of layoffs and the types of roles cut.<\/p>\n
Over the last several years, Amazon has developed its own generative AI models, primarily through its Amazon Nova and Amazon Titan foundation model families. Those models have similar concepts to OpenAI\u2019s GPT or Anthropic\u2019s Claude models. However, Amazon\u2019s models are built primarily for businesses or computer programmers.<\/p>\n
Artificial general intelligence, or AGI, is a hypothetical branch of AI that surpasses human intelligence and gains autonomy. <\/p>\n
An Amazon spokesperson said building large AI models remain a priority.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a fast-moving space, and we\u2019re sharpening our focus on the initiatives that matter most for customers, so we can move faster on what counts,\u201d the spokesperson said in an email. \u201cThat focus means some difficult decisions, including eliminating some roles within parts of our (Artificial General Intelligence) organization, even as we continue to invest in the areas most important to our customers\u2019 future.\u201d<\/p>\n
The spokesperson said employees in the United States will receive pay and benefits for 90 days, outplacement job search support and access to transitional health benefits, and will be eligible for a severance payment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re grateful for the contributions of every impacted employee,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n