Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder and one of the world’s most influential tech pioneers, is officially returning to hands-on leadership as co-CEO of a new artificial intelligence (AI) venture called Project Prometheus, The New York Times reported, citing three people familiar with the company. This marks Bezos’s most significant operational role since he stepped down as Amazon’s chief executive in 2021.
Bezos is making a comeback as co-CEO, to be exact: alongside Vik Bajaj, whose LinkedIn profile identifies him as co-CEO and co-founder of Project Prometheus. Bajaj is a former director of GoogleX, the so-called “Moonshot Factory,” where he worked closely with Google co-founder Sergey Brin on efforts including the self-driving car that became Waymo. The Times reported that the new startup has $6.2 billion in funding, including some from Bezos himself. With a very low profile, details about the startup are hard to find, including when it was founded and where it will be based. According to the Times, it will focus on AI to support engineering and manufacturing in fields such as computers, aerospace, and automobiles, indicating that it will be closely involved with Bezos’ other startup, the commercial space exploration company Blue Origin.
