Boston Dynamics names former Amazon AI executive Rohit Prasad as CEO
In short
Boston Dynamics, described by Korean outlets as Hyundai Motor Group's robot affiliate, said it has appointed Rohit Prasad, a former Amazon executive who led work on the Alexa voice assistant, as its new chief executive. The company said the appointment is aimed at strengthening its physical AI competitiveness and speeding up industrial application and commercialization of intelligent robots. Prasad said he would fuse advanced AI with robotics and widen robotics applications across industries.
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Boston Dynamics, described by Korean outlets as the robot affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, said it has appointed Rohit Prasad, a former Amazon executive who led development of the Alexa voice assistant, as its new chief executive. The company said the appointment is aimed at strengthening its competitiveness in physical AI and accelerating industrial application and commercialization of intelligent robots. Yonhap and Seoul Economic Daily said the company announced the appointment on the 6th, local time, while Asia Economy, NoCut News, Maeil Business, Bloter, Electronic Times, ZDNet Korea and Newsis dated the announcement to the 7th. [ 1 , 4 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 15 ]
Prasad has worked in conversational AI, generative AI, multimodal AI and artificial general intelligence. At Amazon he joined the Alexa project from its early development, later overseeing the Alexa and AGI organizations and leading development of the Nova foundation model family, the reports said. Before Amazon, he spent about 14 years at Raytheon BBN Technologies on machine learning research and applied technology for US government and commercial customers, several outlets reported. [ 1 , 4 , 9 , 10 , 13 , 15 ]
Maeil Business reported he worked at Amazon from 2013 to 2025, serving as director of Alexa machine learning, chief scientist, and senior vice president and chief scientist for AGI. ZDNet Korea said he led an organization of more than 10,000 staff and worked on Amazon's Astro home robot project, and that Alexa is used in about 100 million households and more than 500 million devices. [ 9 , 13 , 15 ]
Boston Dynamics said it plans to combine its robotics technology with advanced AI to speed up industrial deployment and commercialization. It intends to use Hyundai Motor Group's manufacturing, logistics and mobility operations to test how AI and robotics can be applied, seeking synergies across development and commercialization, according to Yonhap, Asia Economy, NoCut News, Maeil Business, Seoul Economic Daily and Electronic Times. The company also said it will draw on the academic and technology network Prasad built in the Boston area for recruiting AI and robotics talent, technology cooperation and global business expansion. [ 1 , 4 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 ]
Bloter reported that the appointment places an AI platform specialist, rather than a robotics engineer, at the head of the company as it prepares to deploy the Atlas humanoid in Hyundai Motor Group manufacturing sites. It said the group has reported potential internal demand for about 25,000 Atlas units, and that a robot metaplant application centre in the US state of Georgia simulates an automobile production environment so robots can repeatedly train on tasks such as parts transport. Bloter added that no plan has been disclosed for Boston Dynamics to adopt Amazon's AI models or related technology, and that Atlas must still show lower production costs and better productivity than existing staff or automation equipment, with customers outside the group needed over the longer term. [ 11 ]
Newsis reported that the chief executive position had been vacant for about eight months and said the appointment raises expectations that an IPO could come sooner. Jang Jae-hoon, vice chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, said the group's manufacturing, logistics and mobility capabilities, together with Prasad's record of turning AI into global-scale products, provide “a strong foundation for building and expanding physical AI”, according to Newsis. [ 15 ]
Prasad said Boston Dynamics is “a company with differentiated capabilities in realizing physical AI based on world-class robotics technology”, and that he would fuse advanced AI with robotics to create meaningful value in the real world, extend robotics applications across industries and build intelligent systems for a new leap in physical AI. [ 1 , 4 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 13 , 15 ]
Why it matters
The appointment puts an AI product executive at the head of a robotics company owned by Hyundai Motor Group, which the documents say plans to test the technology at its own manufacturing, logistics and mobility sites. That links the group's industrial operations to its robotics and AI ambitions. Because Boston Dynamics is a widely known robotics developer, the leadership change is likely to be read beyond robotics circles.
Key facts
- Boston Dynamics said it appointed Rohit Prasad as its new chief executive to strengthen its physical AI competitiveness. [ 1 , 4 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 13 , 15 ]
- Prasad worked on Amazon's Alexa from its early development, later overseeing the Alexa and AGI organizations and leading development of the Nova foundation model family, according to the reports. [ 1 , 4 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 13 , 15 ]
- Maeil Business reported that Prasad worked at Amazon from 2013 to 2025, holding roles including Alexa machine learning director, chief scientist and AGI senior vice president and chief scientist. [ 9 ]
- Before Amazon, Prasad spent about 14 years at Raytheon BBN Technologies on machine learning research and applied technology for US government and commercial customers. [ 1 , 4 , 9 , 10 , 13 , 15 ]
- Boston Dynamics said it plans to use Hyundai Motor Group's manufacturing, logistics and mobility sites to validate AI and robotics applications and expand synergies from development to commercialization. [ 1 , 4 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 15 ]
- Bloter reported that Boston Dynamics is preparing its Atlas humanoid for deployment in Hyundai Motor Group manufacturing sites, with reported potential internal demand of about 25,000 units. [ 11 ]
- Newsis reported that the chief executive position had been vacant for about eight months and said the appointment raises expectations that an IPO could come sooner. [ 15 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Boston Dynamics has appointed Rohit Prasad as its new chief executive. [ 1 , 4 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 13 , 15 ]
- Prasad worked at Amazon on the Alexa voice assistant from its early development, later overseeing the Alexa and AGI organizations and leading development of the Nova foundation model family. [ 1 , 4 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 13 , 15 ]
- Before Amazon, Prasad spent about 14 years at Raytheon BBN Technologies on machine learning research and applied technology for US government and commercial work. [ 1 , 4 , 9 , 10 , 13 , 15 ]
- The appointment is presented as aimed at strengthening physical AI competitiveness and accelerating industrial application and commercialization of intelligent robots. [ 1 , 4 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 13 , 15 ]
- Boston Dynamics plans to use Hyundai Motor Group's manufacturing, logistics and mobility sites to validate AI and robotics technology and expand synergies from development to commercialization. [ 1 , 4 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 15 ]
- Prasad said he would fuse advanced AI with robotics to create meaningful value in the real world and extend robotics applications across industries. [ 1 , 4 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 13 , 15 ]
Still unclear
- The date the company announced the appointment. Yonhap and Seoul Economic Daily say the company announced it on the 6th, local time, while Asia Economy, NoCut News, Maeil Business, Bloter, Electronic Times, ZDNet Korea and Newsis date the announcement to the 7th; the documents do not reconcile the difference.
- The terms of Prasad's appointment, his start date and who he succeeds. The documents state none of these details.
- Newsis's report that the CEO position had been vacant for about eight months and that an IPO could come sooner. This appears only in the Newsis report; no other document mentions the vacancy period or IPO timing.
- Bloter's figure of about 25,000 units of potential internal demand for the Atlas humanoid within Hyundai Motor Group. Bloter describes the figure as known or reported and gives no source for it; no other document carries the number.
- Whether Amazon's AI models or technology will be used in Boston Dynamics robots. Bloter states that no plan has been disclosed for Boston Dynamics to adopt Amazon's AI models or related technology.
- Where Prasad will be based. The documents say he built a network in the Boston area and that the company plans to use it, but do not say where he will work.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap reports that Boston Dynamics hired Rohit Prasad as chief executive, citing the company's announcement. [ 1 ]
- Asia Economy reports the appointment and Prasad's Alexa and AI background, describing physical AI as combining robotics hardware with AI software. [ 4 ]
- Maeil Business reports Prasad worked at Amazon from 2013 to 2025 and lists his roles there. [ 9 ]
- Bloter reports the appointment places an AI platform specialist, not a robotics engineer, at the head of the company as Atlas deployment preparations advance. [ 11 ]
- Newsis reports the CEO position had been vacant for about eight months and that the appointment could speed up an IPO. [ 15 ]