Amazon Trims AGI Team to Focus on Core Initiatives

Amazon has cut jobs in its artificial general intelligence (AGI) group, Reuters reported Wednesday (July 22).

The move follows Amazon’s consolidation of AGI work into part of a larger group that also includes silicon development and quantum computing in December 2025, the departure of AGI-focused executive Rohit Prasad at the end of 2025, and the departure of AGI lab leader David Luan in February, according to the report.

It’s also one of a series of smaller workforce reductions Amazon has made since a much bigger round of layoffs in January, the report said.

Employees reported being impacted by the cuts in the AGI group in posts on online forums Wednesday, but the scope of the cuts is not clear, per the report.

Asked about the reports by Reuters, an Amazon spokesperson said: “We’ve been building large AI models for several years, and it remains one of the most important things we’re working on. 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.”

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced in a Dec. 17, 2025 message that the AGI team was being included in a newly formed organization that brought together the company’s AI models, silicon development and quantum computing, and is led by Peter DeSantis.

Jassy also said in the message that Prasad, who led the creation of the AGI organization over the previous two years, had decided to leave Amazon.

“The path ahead is full of opportunity,” Jassy said in the message. “With the foundation that’s been built, the traction we’re seeing, and Peter’s leadership bringing unified focus to these technologies, we’re well-positioned to lead and deliver meaningful capabilities for our customers. I’m excited about what this team will build and how these foundational technologies will help shape Amazon’s future.”

AGI refers to the development of intelligent machines that can think, learn and perform any intellectual task that a human can, PYMNTS reported in April 2024. Unlike AI systems that are designed to excel at specific tasks, AGI aims to create machines that can think and reason like humans, adapt to new challenges and learn from experience.