"It's actually quite difficult to build a really good generative AI application" - Amazon CEO outlines its AI vision, and challenges

(Image credit: Future / Mike Moore)

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy speaks at AWS re:Invent 2024 opening keynote
Jassy outlines Amazon AI work, and what it has learned
Amazon priority is "technology that really matters for customers"

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has outlined some of the company's biggest challenges when it comes to using AI.

Speaking as part of a guest appearance in the opening keynote of AWS re:Invent 2024, Jassy highlighted the usefulness of "practical AI" in helping its customers.

Outlining multiple examples of how the ecommerce giant utilizes AI internally, Jassy also shared some key learnings from the company's experiences with the technology - as well as revealing its new Nova foundational models.

Andy Jassy and Amazon AI

"We have been using AI expansively across the company for the last 25 years," Jassy noted, "but the way we think about technology - and this goes for AI as well - is that we're not using it because we think it's cool, we're using it because we're trying to solve customer problems."

"That's why when we talk about AI, it's typically less to announced that we beat the best world-class chess player of the world - and more to allow you to have better recommendations, or to equip our pickers in our fulfilment centers...or for out Just Walk Out technology"

"We prioritize technology that we think is going to really matter for customers, and with the explosion of generative AI in the last couple of years, we've taken that same approach - there is a ton of innovation, but what we're trying to do is solve problems for you - what we think of as practical AI."

In his time on stage, Jassy highlighted a number of examples of Amazon's usage of generative AI, from customer service to creating pages for sellers, to inventory management.

Jassy also focused on Rufus, its generative AI chatbot, which is reportedly getting better and smarter at recommending products to customers across the world, and a focus on robotics - which is becoming much more important in its fulfilment centers, providing huge increases in efficiency and productivity.

But he noted this work is not without his challenges - even with the wealth of resources and knowledge Amazon possesses.

"It's actually quite difficult to build a really good generative AI application - you need a good model, but you also need to have the right guardrails, the right fluency of message, and you have to have the right UI."

"We keep learning the same lesson over and over and over again - there is never going to be one tool to rule the world."

"In AWS, we are going to give you the very best combination...as we always do."

Mike Moore is Deputy Editor at TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK's leading national newspapers and fellow Future title ITProPortal, and when he's not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.