Amazon is taking a major step forward in advancing intelligent robotics by hiring leading AI experts Pieter Abbeel, Peter Chen, and Rocky Duan and entering a strategic agreement with Covariant, a pioneer in AI-driven robotics. This collaboration will accelerate Amazon’s efforts to develop smarter, safer robots at scale, enhancing the efficiency and security of its global supply chain and warehouse operations.
Driving Innovation in AI and Robotics at Scale
With a track record of developing the world’s largest fleet of industrial robots, Amazon has been at the forefront of applying machine learning and AI in logistics, supply chain, and warehouse automation. From AI-driven systems like Robin, Proteus, and Sequoia that intelligently navigate and perform tasks, to the hundreds of thousands of mobile robots, robotic arms, and other automation tools powered by AWS infrastructure, Amazon’s robots have been essential in improving operational safety and efficiency.
Amazon’s robotic fleet is integral to its operations, handling inventory movement, sorting, and order identification. These robots are designed to perform heavy lifting and repetitive tasks, allowing Amazon’s employees to focus on higher-value activities while ensuring a safer workplace. Over the years, Amazon has focused on refining these systems, learning from vast amounts of operational data to improve AI models that make robotic systems even more adaptable and secure at scale.
Strategic Collaboration with Covariant to Advance AI in Robotics
To fast-track innovation and create new capabilities for AI-driven robotics, Amazon has entered into a commercial agreement with Covariant, a Bay Area company specializing in building advanced AI models for robotic perception, reasoning, and action. Covariant’s cutting-edge AI technology enables robots to autonomously perform a range of complex warehouse automation tasks.
Under this agreement, Amazon gains a non-exclusive license to Covariant’s foundational robotic AI models, which will help drive new ways to generalize how robotic systems learn and operate. By embedding Covariant’s AI technology into its existing fleet, Amazon aims to create more adaptable and efficient robotic systems that can better serve its employees and customers.
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Scaling Up AI and Robotics Talent to Drive Future Innovations
As part of this initiative, Amazon is also expanding its AI and robotics team in the Bay Area, attracting world-class talent to push the boundaries of what’s possible in automation. The addition of leading AI experts like Pieter Abbeel, Peter Chen, and Rocky Duan will bring invaluable knowledge and experience, fueling Amazon’s ambition to develop the next generation of robotics.
“We’re excited to welcome some of Covariant’s talented team to Amazon and look forward to building on this technology with them to deliver the next generation of robotics that will drive forward the state-of-the-art in automation,” said Joseph Quinlivan, Vice President of Amazon Fulfillment Technologies & Robotics. “With some of the smartest minds, we will advance fundamental research, marrying our rich expertise to unlock new ways for AI and robots to assist our operations employees. Embedding Covariant’s AI technology into our existing robot fleet will make them more performant and create real-world value for our customers.”
Pioneering the Future of Safe, Intelligent Robotics
This partnership underscores Amazon’s commitment to leading the future of safe, intelligent robotics in large-scale operations. By combining the advanced AI models from Covariant with Amazon’s existing infrastructure and robotics fleet, the company aims to set new standards in automation that benefit not just its employees and customers but also the broader robotics and AI community.
Conclusion
Amazon’s collaboration with Covariant, coupled with the hiring of top AI talent, represents a significant step in its mission to revolutionize automation. As AI continues to evolve, this strategic move positions Amazon at the cutting edge of robotics innovation, offering safer, smarter, and more efficient solutions for its global supply chain.
