Amazon taps AWS veteran Peter DeSantis to head new AI division
▼ Summary
– Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced that longtime AWS executive Peter DeSantis will lead a new, dedicated AI organization within the company.
– This new team will be responsible for Amazon’s AI models (like Nova), custom silicon development, and quantum computing to improve AI efficiency.
– DeSantis, with 27 years at Amazon including eight as an AWS SVP, will shift focus from his cloud role to lead this strategic AI initiative.
– The move aligns with Amazon’s recent emphasis on enterprise AI, as showcased at its AWS re:Invent conference.
– Amazon is aggressively investing in AI, including a $50 billion U.S. infrastructure plan and multi-billion dollar talks with firms like OpenAI and Anthropic.
Amazon is placing a significant strategic bet on artificial intelligence by forming a dedicated new division, appointing a seasoned cloud computing leader to run it. CEO Andy Jassy informed employees that Peter DeSantis, a 27-year company veteran and senior vice president at Amazon Web Services (AWS), will now head this organization. The move signals a major consolidation of Amazon’s AI efforts, pulling together critical areas like its proprietary AI models, custom chip development, and quantum computing initiatives under one executive umbrella.
The new division will have broad responsibility for Amazon’s core AI technologies. This includes overseeing the development of foundational models such as Nova, designing custom silicon to make AI systems faster and more cost-effective, and advancing quantum computing research. By aligning these teams, Amazon aims to create a tighter feedback loop between its software, hardware, and infrastructure, optimizing performance across the entire stack.
DeSantis is a logical choice for this pivotal role, having spent the last eight years as an SVP within AWS. His deep experience with the cloud platform, which powers a substantial portion of the global internet, provides crucial insight into the infrastructure demands of large-scale AI. The announcement follows Amazon’s recent re:Invent conference, where the company strongly emphasized its enterprise AI capabilities and launched its latest Nova 2 models.
In his internal message, Jassy explained the rationale behind the leadership shift. He noted that with the launch of new models, rapid growth in custom silicon, and the clear benefits of cross-stack optimization, it was time to free DeSantis to concentrate fully on these high-priority domains. The CEO highlighted the need for focused “energy, invention cycles, and leadership” to drive progress in AI, chips, and quantum technologies.
This organizational change occurs as Amazon aggressively seeks to expand its influence in the highly competitive AI sector. While developing its own innovations like Nova, the company is also making substantial external investments. Recent moves include a massive $50 billion commitment to support U.S. government AI infrastructure through AWS. Furthermore, Amazon is reportedly in discussions for a potential $10 billion investment in OpenAI and has already committed $8 billion to Anthropic, a leading competitor in the generative AI space. This dual strategy of internal development and strategic funding underscores Amazon’s determination to be a central player in shaping the future of artificial intelligence.
(Source: TechCrunch)
