Boston Dynamics names former Amazon AI leader Rohit Prasad CEO
Prasad takes over as the robotics company puts more emphasis on combining AI models with its machines; product and deployment outcomes remain ahead.
An AI executive takes charge
Boston Dynamics appointed Rohit Prasad as chief executive, effective October 7, according to its October 6 announcement. Prasad previously served as Amazon’s senior vice president and head scientist for Alexa and artificial general intelligence. The company says he helped build Alexa and later led work on the Amazon Nova foundation model family. Before Amazon, he worked on machine-learning research at Raytheon BBN Technologies. The appointment brings a leader with experience developing AI services to a robotics company seeking to put more intelligence into machines used outside a lab.
Strategy is not yet a product result
Boston Dynamics says Prasad will advance its Physical AI strategy and work toward commercializing more capable robots for industrial and other settings. That is the company’s stated plan, not evidence of a new deployment or a measured increase in robot autonomy. Its existing portfolio includes the Spot inspection robot and Stretch for moving boxes; its electric humanoid Atlas is still in development. The announcement also says Prasad is expected to join the board subject to an approval process, so a board seat should not be treated as completed. The concrete change today is the CEO appointment. Whether it speeds development or expands real-world use will depend on later products and customer deployments.