- Updated: February 25, 2026
- 5 min read
Amazon AGI Lab Leader Departs – Implications for AI Strategy
Skip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonThe VergeThe Verge logo.Amazon’s AGI lab leader is leavingTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechAICloseAIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AINewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsAmazon’s AGI lab leader is leaving David Luan was leading Amazon’s development of the Nova Act AI browser agent. David Luan was leading Amazon’s development of the Nova Act AI browser agent.by Stevie BonifieldCloseStevie BonifieldNews WriterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Stevie BonifieldFeb 25, 2026, 3:24 PM UTCLinkShareGiftIllustration by Alex Castro / The VergeStevie BonifieldCloseStevie BonifieldPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Stevie Bonifield is a news writer covering all things consumer tech. Stevie started out at Laptop Mag writing news and reviews on hardware, gaming, and AI.After less than two years at Amazon, David Luan, the head of Amazon’s San Francisco AI lab, is departing the company. Luan announced the update in a post on LinkedIn on Tuesday, saying, “I’ll be leaving Amazon at the end of this week to cook up something new.” He added that, “There’s incredible work to be done at Amazon and opportunities for me to take on more areas. But with AGI so close, I decided to spend 100% of my time on teaching AI systems brand new capabilities.”The loss of a top AI developer at Amazon comes as the company struggles to keep up in the AI race; even its own employees are reportedly calling its in-house AI products “Amazon Basics.” Just a few weeks ago, Amazon rolled out Alexa Plus, its revamped AI assistant, to all users in the US, although some early users have said they’d prefer to stick with the original Alexa.Luan joined Amazon in 2024 along with other employees from his startup, Adept, which was developing AI agent technology that Amazon licensed. While at Amazon, Luan worked on its Nova AI models, including the Nova Act AI agent, which launched as a research preview in March. Act could complete web searches, make purchases, and answer questions, and Amazon said at the time of its launch that Act was already in use in Alexa Plus.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Stevie BonifieldCloseStevie BonifieldNews WriterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Stevie BonifieldAICloseAIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AIAmazonCloseAmazonPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AmazonAmazon AlexaCloseAmazon AlexaPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All Amazon AlexaNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechMost PopularMost PopularYouTube’s cheaper subscription is getting background play and downloadsDiscord is delaying its global age verification rolloutSamsung is on slop watch at UnpackedThe DJI Romo robovac had security so poor, this man remotely accessed thousands of themInside Anthropic’s existential negotiations with the PentagonThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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