Jeff Bezos is returning to a hands-on executive role for the first time since stepping down at Amazon, by becoming co-CEO of a newly launched artificial intelligence firm, Project Prometheus, which has secured $6.2 billion in funding. The startup has an audacious vision: use advanced AI to transform engineering, manufacturing, and other “physical economy” sectors including aerospace, automotive, and computing.

Bezos will be sharing the CEO role with Vik Bajaj, a physicist and chemist who brings rich experience from Google X and biotech ventures. Together, they plan to steer Prometheus toward building AI systems that learn from real-world experiments rather than just digital data. The company has reportedly already hired close to 100 people, drawing top talent from elite AI labs like OpenAI, DeepMind, and Meta.

Unlike many AI startups focused on chat or content generation, Project Prometheus aims squarely at the engineering side of things—think robotics, scientific discovery, and industrial design powered by intelligent systems that can actually reason about and interact with the physical world. It’s a bold bet on “AI for the physical economy” rather than more traditional consumer-facing applications.

This move marks a significant return for Bezos, demonstrating his renewed confidence in deep-tech AI and his long-term commitment to reinventing how we build and manufacture. According to insiders, his personal investment, combined with outside money, makes Prometheus one of the most well-capitalized early-stage AI firms globally.

Bezos’s return to operational leadership comes at a time when AI is no longer just about software—it’s increasingly becoming a force reshaping the industrial backbone of the world. Project Prometheus could well be the next major chapter in his legacy.