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Boston Dynamics names former Amazon AI executive Rohit Prasad as chief executive
Hyundai-controlled Boston Dynamics appointed Rohit Prasad, who led Amazon's Alexa and Nova AI work, as CEO, a sign the Atlas maker wants AI to drive its next phase; the company has not said what will change in its products.
Evidence: 4 sources · 1 official record · 3 independent reports · 3 open questions
What happened
- Boston Dynamics named Rohit Prasad as chief executive, effective 7 October 2026.
- Prasad spent about 12 years at Amazon, where he was senior vice president and head scientist for Alexa and later led development of the Amazon Nova family of AI models.
- He succeeds Robert Playter, who stepped down earlier in 2026; chief financial officer Amanda McMaster served as interim CEO.
- Boston Dynamics is controlled by Hyundai Motor Group, which plans to put the company's Atlas humanoid to work in its factories.
Why it matters
Boston Dynamics is one of the best-known robot makers and is moving its Atlas humanoid from research toward factory work, so choosing an AI executive to lead it shows where the company thinks the hard problems now lie.
What is confirmed and what is claimed
Confirmed
- Boston Dynamics appointed Rohit Prasad as CEO, effective 7 October 2026 (company announcement; reported by The Robot Report and Manufacturing Dive). 124
- Prasad previously led Alexa AI and Amazon's artificial general intelligence group, including the Nova models (The Robot Report; Manufacturing Dive). 12
- He succeeds Robert Playter, with CFO Amanda McMaster having served as interim CEO (The Robot Report). 1
Claimed, not independently verified
- The company says the appointment will speed up its "physical AI" strategy, combining robots with advanced AI models.
- Hyundai Motor Group has said Atlas will begin working at its Metaplant America factory in Georgia in 2028; that is a plan, not a deployment. 4
Boston Dynamics spent three decades building some of the most capable legged robots in the world, from the Spot quadruped to the Atlas humanoid. Its new chief executive comes from a different background. Rohit Prasad built speech and language systems at Amazon, first for the Alexa assistant and later for Amazon's Nova AI models.
Context
The appointment ends a leadership gap of several months. Robert Playter, a long-time Boston Dynamics engineer who ran the company for years, stepped down earlier in 2026, and the chief financial officer filled in as interim CEO.
The choice reflects a wider shift in robotics. Building robust robot hardware remains hard, but many companies now see the AI that controls robots, often called a robot foundation model, as the main barrier to general-purpose machines. Rivals such as Figure, Tesla, and a growing list of AI labs are pitching humanoids around their software. Boston Dynamics' owner, Hyundai Motor Group, wants Atlas working in its car plants, which needs reliable autonomy rather than a scripted demo.
A new executive does not by itself change what a robot can do. The useful evidence will be how Atlas performs on real production lines: how many units, on which tasks, and how much human supervision they need. Our guide to robot demos versus deployments explains what to look for.
What to watch
Whether Boston Dynamics announces its own AI models or new partnerships, and any figures Hyundai publishes on Atlas trials before its stated 2028 factory start.
What we don’t know yet
- What specific changes Prasad will make to Boston Dynamics' products, AI models, or partnerships.
- How autonomous Atlas is in the factory tasks Hyundai is testing, and how often people must step in.
- Whether Boston Dynamics will build its own robot foundation models or rely on outside AI developers.
Evidence and sources
- Independent reporting Boston Dynamics appoints former Amazon exec Rohit Prasad as new CEO
- Independent reporting Boston Dynamics hires former Amazon AI leader as CEO
- Independent reporting Former Alexa executive Rohit Prasad appointed CEO of Boston Dynamics
- Primary announcement Hyundai Motor Group Announces AI Robotics Strategy to Lead Human-Centered Robotics Era at CES 2026