Boston Dynamics Hires Rohit Prasad as New CEO

Recap

Source: 테크월드, report of Oct. 7, 2026

According to the report, Boston Dynamics announced on October 7 that it has appointed Rohit Prasad as its new Chief Executive Officer. The company stated that this leadership change is intended to strengthen the fusion of AI and robotics.

Prasad previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Scientist for Alexa and the AGI division at Amazon. In that role, he oversaw the development of the Nova foundation model product line. Before joining Amazon, he spent approximately 14 years at Raytheon BBN Technologies, where he focused on machine learning research and applied technology development for both government and commercial projects.

Boston Dynamics explained that under Prasad’s leadership, it plans to expand its "physical AI" business. The company aims to accelerate the commercialization of intelligent robot systems in industrial settings and broaden its global business foundation. It also noted plans to leverage Prasad’s network in the Boston AI and robotics ecosystem for talent acquisition and technical collaboration.

Prasad said, "Boston Dynamics has the capability to realize physical AI based on world-class robotics technology." He added that the company will combine advanced AI with robotics to create value in the real world and expand its application across industries.

Context

Boston Dynamics is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, which has been a major investor and strategic partner in the company’s development. The company is best known for its advanced quadruped robots, such as Spot, and its humanoid robot, Atlas. The appointment of a leader with deep experience in large-scale AI systems and foundation models signals a strategic shift toward integrating generative and multimodal AI capabilities into its hardware.

The term "physical AI" refers to AI systems that interact with and manipulate the physical world, a key area of focus for modern robotics. Prasad’s background in Alexa, a widely used voice assistant, suggests an emphasis on natural language interfaces and multimodal interaction for robots.

Robot's take

This leadership change may mark a significant pivot for Boston Dynamics, moving beyond purely mechanical engineering to a more AI-centric approach. The integration of foundation models could enable more adaptive and intelligent robot behaviors, but it also raises questions about the complexity of deploying such systems in real-world industrial environments.

It is not yet clear how quickly these AI enhancements will be integrated into existing products like Spot or Atlas. The success of this strategy will likely depend on Boston Dynamics’ ability to balance advanced AI research with the practical demands of industrial customers. The next few quarters will be critical in seeing tangible progress in this new direction.