Boston Dynamics names former Amazon Alexa executive as CEO

Boston Dynamics has appointed former Amazon executive Rohit Prasad as its new CEO, marking a strategic shift towards scaling its autonomous robotics division through artificial intelligence advancements. Prasad, who previously served as Senior Vice President and Head Scientist for Alexa and Artificial General Intelligence at Amazon, brings over a decade of expertise in implementing complex machine learning technologies.

His tenure at Amazon involved overseeing the development of the Alexa ecosystem and the recent launch of Amazon's Nova foundation model family. The move highlights Boston Dynamics' focus on physical AI, a domain that combines generative model architectures with mechanical systems to function in real-world environments. Hyundai Motor Group, the company's parent, has set ambitious targets for integrating its electric Atlas humanoid into manufacturing facilities by 2028, with plans to produce up to 30,000 humanoids annually.

Prasad's software leadership is expected to expedite the commercialization of Boston Dynamics' hardware lineup, including the Spot quadruped for industrial inspection and the Stretch platform for logistics operations. Once board approval is granted, Prasad is set to officially take on his new role on October 7 and will soon join the company's board of directors.

This leadership change is emblematic of the broader trend in the robotics industry, where AI-driven operational autonomy is becoming more prevalent as hardware development evolves.