After stepping
down as CEO of Amazon in 2021, Jeff Bezos is back in action, and the entrepreneur is returning to an operational role with
Project Prometheus , an artificial intelligence startup that is still discreet… but already under scrutiny.
Indeed, the project, revealed by the New York Times , is intriguing both for its positioning and its stated ambition. It’s a way for Jeff Bezos to reconnect with tech , while pursuing his long-standing obsession with space and engineering…
Project Prometheus: what is it?
Project Prometheus stands out from the outset because of its objective: to develop AI systems capable of learning directly from the physical world , far removed from the digital uses popularized by chatbots.
The company aims to create algorithms capable of understanding mechanics , manufacturing , and applied physics , with potential applications in industry, transportation, and space technologies. This field is reminiscent of Blue Origin , the aerospace company that Jeff Bezos has led for over twenty years and whose New Glenn rocket recently completed a second successful flight.
To lead this project, Jeff Bezos is partnering with Vik Bajaj , a physicist and chemist who previously worked at Google X, where he contributed to projects like Wing and Waymo . Together, they plan to establish Project Prometheus between San Francisco, London, and Zurich, with the goal, according to the project’s LinkedIn page , of creating AI for the “physical economy .”
A different positioning from OpenAI?
Even before its official announcement, the startup is already showing impressive momentum: nearly 100 employees have reportedly been recruited , including several former employees of OpenAI, DeepMind, and Meta. This composition reflects its ambitions in the field of scientific and industrial AI.
Funding accompanies this growth, with $6.2 billion raised, including a portion coming directly from Jeff Bezos, representing a level of capital rarely seen for a still relatively unknown start-up.
However, according to the New York Times, Prometheus does not aim to compete with OpenAI , but to develop tools capable of designing and manufacturing complex products, whether in the automotive, aeronautical, or advanced computing sectors.
A new step in Jeff Bezos’ trajectory?
For Jeff Bezos, Project Prometheus represents a marked return to the heart of innovation . After years of focusing on his personal investments and Blue Origin, he is returning to a co-CEO position.
This move could signal a new phase in his career , focused on AI applied to the industrial world and space technologies…