Boston Dynamics taps Amazon AI veteran to lead physical AI push

Boston Dynamics has appointed Rohit Prasad as its new chief executive officer, tasked with merging AI with advanced robotics. Prasad, an AI expert who played a key role in developing Alexa and leading Amazon’s foundation model efforts, joins the company on Wednesday. As CEO, Prasad will spearhead Boston Dynamics' strategy to commercialize intelligent robots and expand the use of physical AI across various industries.

Prior to Boston Dynamics, Prasad spent a decade at Amazon, serving as senior vice president and head scientist for Alexa and artificial general intelligence. During his time at Amazon, he played a pivotal role in the development of Amazon Nova, a suite of foundation models designed for generative AI applications. Before Amazon, Prasad spent 14 years at Raytheon BBN Technologies, where he focused on machine learning research and applications for government and commercial clients.

According to Boston Dynamics, Prasad's expertise in translating AI research into tangible products, platforms, and business models will be instrumental in accelerating the development and commercialization of their intelligent robotic systems.