In a bid to keep pace with its tech rivals, Amazon has revealed its plans to develop a groundbreaking AI model codenamed “Olympus.” This ambitious endeavor is aimed at enhancing the functionality of Amazon’s online store and its popular Alexa smart speakers, according to a report by The Information.
The “Olympus” model is set to make its debut as early as December, marking Amazon’s entry into the competitive world of AI technology. The move follows the company’s announcement of a substantial $4 billion investment in the AI startup Anthropic back in September.
Amazon has been diligently prioritizing AI research and development as it strives to create products capable of rivaling OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard. CEO Andy Jassy has taken personal oversight of the group responsible for building Amazon’s most ambitious AI models.
This forthcoming AI model, “Olympus,” is expected to be one of the largest ever constructed, boasting an impressive two trillion parameters, compared to GPT-4’s one trillion. However, experts have cautioned that larger models may not necessarily equate to greater capabilities than those with fewer parameters.
Amazon’s journey in the realm of AI has been marked by efforts to close the technology gap rapidly. Last year, the company postponed the launch of another AI model called Titan due to technical challenges and the arrival of ChatGPT, which executives perceived as superior to Amazon’s offering.
To stay competitive, Amazon is diligently working on the development of a “conversational shopping agent” known as “Project Nile” for its online store. Additionally, in September, the company unveiled plans to integrate generative AI into its Alexa smart speakers.
These new AI features, built on a custom large language model, aim to empower Alexa to engage in meaningful conversations with users, compose messages, and respond to complex queries. While these AI tools are currently in a preview phase among select users, Amazon has hinted at the possibility of introducing a subscription fee for access to these advanced features in the future.
When approached for comment, Amazon declined to provide any official statements. With “Olympus” on the horizon, it is clear that Amazon is gearing up for a new era of AI competition, challenging the status quo established by tech giants like OpenAI and Google.