Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on September 26, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleAmazon VP Karthik Ramakrishnan, key in AGI development, resigns. This change impacts Amazon's AI strategy amidst competition from Google and OpenAI.
By Greg Bensinger
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -An Amazon vice president helping to oversee one of the company's highest profile projects, artificial general intelligence, is stepping down on Friday, the online retailer confirmed after a Reuters inquiry.
Karthik Ramakrishnan, a 13-year veteran of Amazon, is stepping down, according to internal communications reviewed by Reuters. It could not be learned if he had another job lined up and Ramakrishnan did not respond to a request for comment.
Artificial general intelligence, or AGI, is technology being developed that researchers believe could one day equal or even outperform human-level intelligence. AGI, if perfected, could help to further automate work done today by humans, potentially upending fields as diverse as warfare, healthcare and stock trading.
Ramakrishnan worked on the first iteration of Amazon's Alexa voice assistant and the associated Echo devices. He began his career at Netscape before moving to Tellme Networks, which was acquired by Microsoft, according to his LinkedIn profile.
His departure is among several higher profile ones in recent months, including Vasi Philomin, a vice president guiding generative AI development; and Jon Jones, who led the AWS global startups and venture capital business.
Amazon is working to bolster its reputation for developing AI software and services as rivals like OpenAI and Google have captured market share. It has invested around $8 billion in startup Anthropic and uses its Claude AI model in products like Alexa and an internal chatbot known as Cedric.
On Thursday at an internal all-hands meeting, AWS chief Matt Garman pressed employees to meet timelines for releasing products, saying Amazon can "lose some of that buzz" when customers have to wait to try out new services, Reuters reported.
(Reporting by Greg Bensinger; Editing by David Gregorio)
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) refers to a type of AI that can understand, learn, and apply intelligence across a wide range of tasks, similar to human cognitive abilities.
A vice president (VP) is a senior executive responsible for overseeing specific departments or functions within a company, often reporting directly to the president or CEO.
AI strategy involves the planning and implementation of artificial intelligence technologies and practices within an organization to enhance operations, improve efficiency, and drive innovation.
Investment in technology refers to allocating resources, such as capital or time, into technological advancements or innovations to improve business processes or create new products.
Leadership changes can significantly impact a company's direction, culture, and performance, as new leaders may bring different strategies, priorities, and management styles.
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