Boston Dynamics Puts Former Amazon Executive at Helm for Physical AI Push

BOSTON -- Boston Dynamics has appointed former Amazon artificial intelligence executive Rohit Prasad as CEO, bringing an AI veteran into the top job as the robot maker works to commercialize more intelligent machines. Prasad's appointment took effect Oct. 7, Boston Dynamics announced. He succeeds Robert Playter, who stepped down as CEO on Feb. 27 after more than 30 years at Boston Dynamics. Before joining Boston Dynamics, Prasad was senior vice president and head scientist for Alexa and artificial general intelligence at Amazon, according to the press release. His appointment puts an executive with experience developing and commercializing AI products in charge as Boston Dynamics expands the role of AI across its robot portfolio. The company sells its quadruped robot, Spot, and its box‑handling robot, Stretch. The electric humanoid robot, Atlas, remains under development. Boston Dynamics said Prasad will focus on combining its robotics technology with advanced AI and expanding what it calls physical AI applications in industrial and commercial environments. The company made no other announcements alongside the appointment. Prasad is also expected to join Boston Dynamics' board, if the company approves. Hyundai Motor Group controls Boston Dynamics and is preparing for broader use of robots in its manufacturing operations. Reuters reported that Hyundai said in January it plans to build a factory capable of producing 30,000 robots annually by 2028, when it plans to begin deploying robots across its manufacturing sites. With Playter's departure, the appointment gives Boston Dynamics a permanent chief executive. Playter steered the company since 2019 and during Hyundai's acquisition of a controlling stake from SoftBank. Prasad previously spent more than a decade at Amazon. Before that, he spent approximately 14 years at Raytheon BBN Technologies conducting research and applying machine learning. Boston Dynamics has not disclosed a commercial launch date or price for Atlas. The company describes the electric humanoid as a platform under development, separating it from Spot and Stretch, which are already offered to customers.