Eugene Kim
During an internal all-hands meeting at Amazon, Doug Herrington, the retail CEO, emphasized the critical importance of staying ahead in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Herrington has been organizing an “AI show and tell” in his office for the past year to keep abreast of AI advancements and the projects within the company. He highlighted the significance of adapting to significant technological shifts, cautioning that failure to do so has led to the downfall of many successful companies in the past.
Herrington stressed that the current AI revolution surpasses previous technological advancements like mobile or social media. He underscored the necessity for Amazon to proactively embrace this change to ensure continued success. His remarks, captured in a recording obtained by Business Insider, shed light on new projects within Amazon while emphasizing the pivotal role of AI.
The surge in AI, notably catalyzed by the rapid emergence of ChatGPT, has spurred Amazon and other companies to intensify their pursuit of AI technologies. Internally, Amazon is actively exploring new AI initiatives, including the development of an AI-powered shopping assistant and a significant revamp of the Alexa voice assistant, as previously reported by BI.
Despite these advancements, some employees have expressed concerns about the hurried rollout of Amazon’s new Q chatbot and the mounting pressure to integrate AI across various functions.
At the recent all-hands meeting, Herrington disclosed that the “AI show and tell” sessions in his office have been occurring every few weeks over the past year. What initially began as a personal learning opportunity has evolved into a platform for teams across Amazon’s retail sector to showcase their projects. Herrington, who oversees Amazon’s entire retail operations encompassing the online marketplace, healthcare division, and logistics services, highlighted recent innovations such as an automated product image creation feature for sellers and a healthcare-oriented model to aid clinicians.
Amazon’s CEO, Andy Jassy, echoed similar sentiments during the meeting, emphasizing the transformative impact of generative AI on customer experiences. He indicated that every facet of Amazon is actively engaged in developing generative AI applications, leading to the launch of features like customer review summaries and an image creator for advertisers.
Herrington expressed confidence in Amazon’s ability to lead in the AI domain, attributing this to the company’s foresight and culture of innovation. He stressed the collective responsibility to ensure Amazon’s success amidst the ongoing technological transition, affirming his belief that Amazon will not only navigate this shift effectively but also emerge as a frontrunner in the AI landscape.
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