Amazon is doubling down on artificial intelligence (AI) by creating a dedicated organization led by Peter DeSantis, a 27-year company veteran and senior vice president at Amazon Web Services (AWS). The move, announced by CEO Andy Jassy, streamlines the development of Amazon’s AI models, including the recently launched Nova series, and integrates key enabling technologies like custom silicon and quantum computing.
Why This Matters
This restructuring signals Amazon’s commitment to competing aggressively in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Unlike some competitors who treat AI as a separate division, Amazon is choosing to build its AI future within the infrastructure powerhouse that already dominates cloud computing. AWS powers roughly one-third of the internet, giving Amazon a massive advantage in scaling AI models and integrating them into existing enterprise solutions.
DeSantis’ Role and Scope
DeSantis will oversee not just the core AI models, but also the hardware that makes them run faster: Amazon’s custom silicon chips and early-stage quantum computing research. This vertical integration is critical because AI performance depends heavily on both software and hardware.
“With our Nova 2 models just launched at re:Invent, our custom silicon growing rapidly, and the advantages of optimizing across models, chips, and cloud software and infrastructure, we wanted to free Peter up to focus his energy, invention cycles, and leadership on these new areas,” Jassy stated.
Context: The AI Arms Race
Amazon’s move is part of a larger industry trend where tech giants are racing to control the entire AI stack, from model development to chip design. This “full-stack” approach allows companies to bypass reliance on external suppliers and accelerate innovation. The re:Invent event showcased Amazon’s aggressive push into AI for enterprise use, making DeSantis’ appointment a logical step towards executing that strategy.
What Comes Next
Expect Amazon to accelerate the rollout of AI-powered tools for businesses, leveraging its cloud infrastructure to offer competitive pricing and scalability. The new organization will likely prioritize optimizing AI models for specific industries, such as logistics, retail, and healthcare.
Amazon’s consolidation under DeSantis demonstrates a clear focus: AI is no longer a side project, but a core pillar of the company’s future growth.
