Amazon Recruits Many Experts To Accelerate AI Use For Robotic Systems

Illustration of robotics experts (photo: Amazon)

JAKARTA - Amazon announced that it has recruited covariant startup founders, Pieter Abbeel, Peter Chen, and Rocky Duan and about a quarter of the company's employees.

In addition, Amazon also said it had signed a non-exclusive license to use the robotic foundation model of Covariant, to advance the latest technology in intelligent and secure robots.

Covariant is a Bay Area-based company building a state-of-the-art AI model that allows robots to see, act in the world around them, supporting a number of different warehouse automation tasks.

What we admire about the Covariant team is their repeated approach and focusses on customers to develop the technology that solves the toughest challenges in warehouse automation and their deep understanding of the thorough process, Amazon said in its announcement.

Later, the Covariant model will help Amazon in driving new ways to generalize the company's robotic systems in learning and provide company automation opportunities more securely and provide better results for customers.

As part of this effort, Amazon plans to develop its AI team and robotics in the Bay Area to take advantage of world-class talent and advance the latest automation.

Pieter Abbeel, Peter Chen, Rocky Duan, and a group of scientists and other research technicians will join Amazon's Fulfillment & Robotics Technology Team to help encourage the development and application of Covariant technology in Amazon operations and continue to develop innovative AI solutions.

Meanwhile, Covariant will continue to serve dozens of its customers and develop Covariant technology that supports the fulfillment and automation of distribution centers.

"With some of the greatest people, we will advance fundamental research, combining our rich expertise to open up new ways for AI and robots to help our operational employees," said Joseph Quinlivan, Vice President, Amazon Fulfillment Technologies & Robotics.