Jeff Bezos’ AI Startup Aims To Build an ‘Artificial General Engineer’

Jeff Bezos says his new AI startup, Prometheus, is working toward an “artificial general engineer” capable of helping design complex physical products such as robots, drugs, manufacturing systems, and rocket engines. The NYT first reported on Prometheus last November, but now Bezos is sharing more information about the startup after a $12 billion funding round, putting the company at a $41 billion valuation. Bezos serves as co-CEO of Prometheus alongside Vik Bajaj, who co-founded Alphabet’s health-focused research group, Verily. The startup currently has around 150 employees.

The tools Prometheus intends to build could help develop physical products across several industries, including robotics, drug design, and manufacturing, the NYT reports. “Blue Origin is a perfect example of a company that could benefit from the tools that Prometheus is building,” Bezos tells the NYT. “Any company that is building sophisticated devices — like rocket engines — would benefit greatly from this kind of technology.”