Amazon phases out most flagship AI models in strategy shift, Business Insider reports

• Amazon is deprecating its high-end Premier and Omni models, along with Reel video-generation and Canvas image-generation models, while maintaining some Nova models like Nova 2 Lite and Nova 2 Sonic
• The strategy shift comes days after job cuts in Amazon's artificial general intelligence (AGI) group as the company focuses on 'initiatives that matter most for customers'
• Amazon's AGI efforts have experienced significant turnover, with several top executives departing over the past year since the division was consolidated under cloud executive Peter DeSantis in December

Amazon Pivots AI Strategy, Phases Out Nova Flagship Models

Amazon is significantly overhauling its artificial intelligence strategy by discontinuing most of its in-house Nova AI models and redirecting resources toward a new frontier-model initiative, according to a Business Insider report citing sources familiar with the matter.

Key Developments:

The company is deprecating several flagship Nova AI products, including:

• Premier and Omni high-end models
• Reel video-generation model
• Canvas image-generation model

Amazon is consolidating efforts around a frontier-model development led by researcher Pieter Abbeel, with frontier research becoming a top priority in 2026. The new flagship model is expected to launch at Amazon's annual "re:Invent" conference later this year and may potentially retain the Nova branding.

Strategic Context:

This restructuring follows recent job cuts in Amazon's artificial general intelligence (AGI) group, with the company stating it is focusing on "initiatives that matter most for customers." Amazon has struggled to generate market excitement around Nova models compared to competitors like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, instead concentrating on providing cloud and AI infrastructure for enterprises.

The company's AGI efforts have experienced significant turbulence since their 2023 inception, including leadership changes with consolidation under cloud executive Peter DeSantis in December and multiple departures of top AGI executives over the past year.

Remaining Products:

Amazon will continue supporting Nova 2 Lite, Nova 2 Sonic models, and Nova Forge—a service enabling customers to build custom AI models.

The move signals Amazon's strategic pivot toward more advanced AI capabilities while rationalizing its product portfolio in an increasingly competitive market.