Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has stepped into the artificial intelligence arena with a formidable new venture, immediately drawing a sharp reaction from his rival Elon Musk.
The Birth of Project Prometheus
Jeff Bezos has reportedly established a new artificial intelligence startup named Project Prometheus. He will serve as co-CEO alongside seasoned tech executive Vik Bajaj.
The ambitious project is not starting from scratch; it has already secured a staggering $6.2 billion in initial funding. Furthermore, the startup has built a team of approximately 100 employees, with talent recruited from leading AI firms like Google DeepMind, Meta, and OpenAI.
Strategic Focus and Potential Synergies
The primary focus for Project Prometheus will be developing advanced AI to bolster engineering and manufacturing processes. Its applications are expected to span several key sectors, including aerospace, automobiles, and computing.
There are strong indications that the startup could work closely with Bezos's private space company, Blue Origin. This potential collaboration aligns perfectly with Bezos's previously stated views on the critical role AI will play in the future of space exploration.
Billionaire Banter and Belief in AI
The news prompted a swift and characteristically blunt response from Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Taking to his social media platform, X, Musk labelled Bezos a “copycat”.
This new venture adds Bezos to the growing list of billionaires investing heavily in AI. Despite acknowledging the existence of an “AI bubble,” Bezos has been a vocal proponent of the technology's potential, stating that AI is “real” and will bring “gigantic” benefits to society.
