Amazon ‘s board of directors recently made an intriguing decision that reveals the company’s future focus. The company announced on Thursday the appointment of Andrew Ng, renowned for his work in developing AI at major tech companies, to its board of directors. The company also announced that Judy McGrath, a well-known TV executive who played a significant role in running MTV and contributing to Viacom’s success, will be resigning from her position as a director.
When considering both actions, it becomes clear that the tech giant has some intriguing plans in mind.
It’s fascinating to observe that McGrath, who would have played a crucial role in advising and advocating for Amazon’s massive investments in its video and music business (which amounted to nearly $19 billion in 2023), has decided not to seek reelection. 
It is important to note that Amazon will continue to be a significant player in the streaming entertainment industry, whether it’s video, music, gaming, or any other form of content. Ensuring the satisfaction and loyalty of its audience is crucial for the company as it expands its advertising efforts on Prime Video.
It will be intriguing to observe the outcome of investments in that segment in 2024. It appears that the company has made the decision to downsize its workforce in the studio and video divisions, and it is also in the process of scaling back Prime Video in certain regions. This suggests that the company may be adopting a more streamlined and targeted approach in the future. With the current AI whiplash that every big tech company is grappling with, it seems fitting that McGrath is choosing to step away from the board at this moment.
With that in mind, in order to remain at the cutting edge of technology, Amazon is seeking enhanced thought leadership regarding the future direction of its artificial intelligence strategy.
It’s important to note that Amazon has established itself as a prominent player in the field of AI for quite some time. Alexa and Echo devices have played a significant role in popularizing voice recognition and connected assistants. The company has also been actively developing autonomous services for airborne and ground-level delivery, as well as in-store purchasing. By leveraging machine learning, it continuously enhances its product-targeting capabilities. Additionally, AWS is a major player in AI compute, and the company is now making substantial investments in prominent AI startups.
However, for a minimum of one year, following OpenAI’s GPT advancements, Amazon has been dealing with the perception both internally and externally that it is not keeping up with the technology.
Is that statement accurate? Is it merely a matter of appearances? No matter the response, Ng’s appointment will undoubtedly benefit Amazon by bolstering its reputation in the field of AI. The company is determined to achieve significant innovation in the industry. In Amazon’s annual letter to shareholders, Andy Jassy emphasized the significance of GenAI as a key focus for the company’s future, comparing it to the existing pillars of Marketplace, Prime, and AWS. That necessitates strong, strategic guidance on how to achieve more than just subsequent actions.
Ng has the potential to be a highly valuable addition to any board. He has a diverse background in academia, investing, and hands-on building and has successfully managed all three roles simultaneously. He currently holds an adjunct professor position at Stanford. He also serves as a general partner at a venture studio known as AI Fund. He is also the head of the edtech company DeepLearning.AI and the founder of the computer vision startup Landing AI. Additionally, he holds the chair position at Coursera, another edtech startup that he established and previously headed.
Ng has experience as chief scientist and VP at Chinese search giant Baidu. Additionally, he founded and led Google Brain, which marked Google’s initial venture into developing and implementing AI technology in its products.
Amazon did not provide a statement from Ng in its announcement. We have personally contacted him and will provide an update once we receive a response.
It may seem that a new wave of companies and thinkers is leading the way in AI, but major players like Amazon are certainly not sitting still.
