Here’s what Jeff Bezos’ new startup Prometheus will do

In a bold move, Jeff Bezos has emerged as co-CEO of a new venture named Prometheus, which he announced last November. This startup aims to pioneer the concept of 'physical AI'—a term that refers to leveraging the deep learning technologies behind large language models and generative AI for applications in robotics and manufacturing. While details were initially limited, recent developments following a substantial funding round have shed light on their ambitious plans. Prometheus has successfully raised a staggering $12 billion in its latest funding round, building on an earlier $6.2 billion injection, which brings the company's valuation to an impressive $41 billion. This funding influx comes from major financial institutions such as JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and BlackRock, along with a significant contribution from Bezos himself. Currently, the startup employs around 150 staff members, and a large portion of the new capital will be directed towards acquiring computing resources. Bezos emphasized the compute-intensive nature of their work, stating, "One of the reasons we’ve had to raise a significant amount of funding is because… what we’re doing is very compute-intensive and we need to create that data." So, what is Prometheus really aiming to achieve? Bezos described a central goal of developing an "artificial general engineer," which he believes will revolutionize how inventions are created. He explained, "All societal wealth is driven by invention. Six thousand years ago, somebody invented the plow, and we all got wealthier. Then, much later, somebody invented the steam engine, and we all got wealthier." With Prometheus, Bezos envisions providing tools that will significantly expedite the cycle of invention, transforming industries and potentially enhancing global prosperity.