Jeff Bezos creates A.I. startup where he will be co-chief executive

Corporate structure and secrecy

• Commenters are surprised a company raising $6.2B can remain so opaque (unclear start date, location, staff).
• Several explain U.S. structures: corporations/LLCs must exist in state records, but private firms disclose minimal ownership or operational details; Delaware and some other states expose almost nothing publicly.
• Sole proprietorships and some partnerships can operate with almost no registration, but that’s seen as unlikely for a multi‑billion‑dollar vehicle.
• Speculation that this entity is buried under layers of holding companies and possibly using a code name, making it effectively untraceable to outsiders.

Scale and nature of the funding

• Some see $6.2B as potentially circular: money flowing from Amazon-related interests to the startup and back via AWS or chip purchases.
• Others suggest similar circular deals are widespread in the current AI boom, inflating apparent spend and valuations, though there’s disagreement about how extreme this is.
• A few wonder if this is partly an “experiment in AI financing” designed to multiply capital on paper without much real deployment.

AI productivity, jobs, and the bubble question

• One thread claims concrete evidence of reduced hiring in AI‑susceptible roles (content writing, front‑end dev), with an anecdote about replacing a front‑end developer using AI coding tools.
• Others push back: correlation with weaker hiring doesn’t prove AI causation; some roles might simply be easy to consolidate or were “non‑essential” already.
• There’s debate over whether AI tools really increase productivity for skilled workers, with one side citing studies and the other emphasizing lived experience.
• Several see the whole sector as a bubble or “musical chairs,” while others argue there is substantial real spend and consumer/business value underneath.

Co‑CEO role and billionaire behavior

• “Co‑Chief Executive” is widely read as a vanity or “seagull management” role: money brings final say without day‑to‑day work.
• Others counter that top‑level CEOs mainly set direction and hire; executing is delegated, especially when one is a celebrity billionaire.
• Some praise the founder’s historical track record and view his involvement as a net positive; others point to delays and underperformance at his space venture as evidence of distraction.

Relation to Amazon and the AI landscape

• Multiple comments argue Amazon has become bloated and ineffectual in AI, with tiny startups out‑innovating it; this could explain why a separate venture was chosen.
• People note Amazon’s existing multi‑billion stake in another frontier lab and hope this new effort is “something wildly different,” possibly focused on physics‑based or simulation‑driven scientific discovery.
• There’s cautious optimism that more well‑funded frontier labs increase competition and innovation, tempered by concern that this accelerates risky capabilities.

Ethics, science, and public trust

• Some see “AI to advance science and engineering (e.g., materials, manufacturing, spacecraft)” as one of the most socially positive AI directions.
• Others are skeptical, recalling earlier promises from high‑profile AI orgs that later pivoted to profit maximization; trust in billionaire‑led “for humanity” narratives is low.
• A recurring criticism is opportunity cost: instead of another AI moonshot, ultra‑wealthy individuals could address homelessness or other social problems, but commentators also argue that their personalities are intrinsically driven to chase more influence and wealth.

Miscellaneous reactions

• Several mock the name “Project Prometheus” as overused, and joke about mythological punishment and Amazon‑style liver subscriptions.
• Co‑CEO structures are called “a recipe for disaster” by some, though others note examples where dual leadership appears functional.
• Side threads discuss whether a 100‑person, multi‑billion‑dollar entity still counts as a “startup,” NYT’s “A.I.” styling, and celebrity‑gossip details of the founder’s social life.