Amazon Taps Adept Founders to Accelerate AGI Ambitions

Amazon is making significant strides in its artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives by strategically hiring key executives from Adept, a San Francisco-based startup known for creating “agents” that automate enterprise workflows. This move underscores Amazon’s commitment to enhancing its AI capabilities and integrating advanced technology to streamline processes and improve efficiency.

David Luan, co-founder and CEO of Adept and former vice president of engineering at OpenAI, will be joining Amazon. Alongside Luan, other notable co-founders from Adept including Augustus Odena, Maxwell Nye, Erich Elsen, and Kelsey Szot, as well as several other employees, will also transition to Amazon. Despite these significant shifts in its leadership, Adept will continue to operate as an independent entity with its remaining workforce, ensuring continuity and sustained innovation within the company.

A pivotal aspect of this transition is that Amazon will utilize some of Adept’s technology through a non-exclusive license. This arrangement allows Amazon to integrate Adept’s sophisticated technology into its operations while enabling Adept to maintain its independent trajectory and continue its developmental endeavors.

David Luan will report directly to Rohit Prasad, a seasoned Amazon executive who leads the Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) team. This team is focused on developing large language model technology at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters. Prasad highlighted the significance of Luan and his team’s expertise in training state-of-the-art multimodal foundational models and building practical digital agents. He emphasized that this expertise aligns with Amazon’s vision to provide both consumer and enterprise customers with practical AI solutions. In a memo to employees, Prasad noted that the technology license from Adept will accelerate Amazon’s roadmap for building digital agents capable of automating complex software workflows.

Adept, which raised $350 million in a Series B funding round in March 2023, was valued at approximately $1 billion. The startup’s software is designed to assist companies in automating rudimentary tasks such as extracting information from documents, sending emails, processing applications, and more. These automation capabilities are crucial for businesses looking to improve efficiency and reduce manual workloads. The company has reportedly been in discussions with other tech giants, including Meta and Microsoft, about potential deals, reflecting its significant value and technological prowess.

The recruitment of Adept’s leaders is part of a broader trend where major tech corporations seek to partner with or acquire innovative startups to bolster their AI infrastructure and services. This trend is driven by the growing demand for AI-driven solutions and the competitive race to lead in AI technology development. However, AI startups face challenges, including high computing and labor costs, without substantial revenue streams, which makes strategic partnerships and acquisitions appealing.

Amazon’s deal with Adept mirrors a similar move by Microsoft, which recently hired Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder and former CEO of consumer chatbot startup Inflection AI, along with Inflection co-founder Karén Simonyan and other employees. These strategic hires reflect the tech giants’ ambitions to strengthen their AI capabilities through the acquisition of top talent and advanced technology from promising startups.

Regulatory scrutiny is increasing on AI deals between large tech corporations and smaller startups. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating whether Microsoft structured a deal to gain control of Inflection AI without undergoing an FTC review. Microsoft had previously invested in Inflection AI. Additionally, in January, the FTC launched a separate inquiry into Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI and Amazon’s investment in Anthropic, another prominent AI startup.

These investigations highlight the regulatory challenges and scrutiny that accompany major tech acquisitions and investments, particularly in the rapidly evolving and highly competitive AI sector. Regulators are keen to ensure that these deals do not stifle competition or lead to monopolistic practices, thereby maintaining a fair and dynamic market environment.

In summary, Amazon’s strategic hiring of executives from Adept represents a significant step in its AI expansion efforts. By integrating Adept’s advanced technology and expertise, Amazon aims to enhance its AI capabilities, streamline enterprise workflows, and deliver practical AI solutions to its customers. This move is part of a broader trend among tech giants to partner with or acquire innovative startups to stay ahead in the competitive AI landscape. However, these strategic moves are accompanied by increased regulatory scrutiny to ensure fair competition and market dynamics.