Amazon NASDAQ:AMZN fell 1.35% intraday after cutting jobs in its artificial general intelligence group, the latest in a series of smaller reductions since it eliminated 16,000 roles across the company in January. The number affected in this round wasn't disclosed.
An Amazon spokesman said the company has been building large AI models for several years and that the work remains among its most important, while adding that it is "sharpening our focus on the initiatives that matter most for customers." That focus, he said, means difficult decisions including eliminating some roles within parts of the AGI organization.
The unit works on artificial general intelligence, a hypothetical system that would surpass human intelligence and operate autonomously, a goal several leading AI developers are pursuing.