Social
Author

Pieter Abbeel

Amazon Scholar
Social

Pieter Abbeel is an Amazon Scholar and a professor at UC Berkeley. At Amazon he co-leads the Amazon Frontier AI & Robotics team. He is one of the world's leading researchers, educators, and entrepreneurs in artificial intelligence. Abbeel's contributions include pioneering deep learning for robotics (for locomotion and manipulation), diffusion models (at the heart of today's image and video generation models), TRPO/SAC and domain randomization (at the heart of today's humanoid locomotion capabilities and derivatives thereof are key components towards today's LLM tuning with RLHF and RLVF). Companies founded by Abbeel and his students include OpenAI (John Schulman), Perplexity (Aravind Srinivas), Skild (Deepak Pathak), Physical Intelligence (Chelsea Finn and Sergey Levine), Reflection (Misha Laskin), Evolutionary Scale (Roshan Rao), Ideogram (Jonathan Ho), Genmo (Ajay Jain), Covariant (Peter Chen, Rocky Duan, Tianhao Zhang). Abbeel earned his BS/MS from KU Leuven, his PhD from Stanford advised by Andrew Ng.

Read more

Latest news

Work with us

See more jobs See more jobs
2027 Applied Science Intern (Machine Learning, Recommender Systems), Amazon International Machine Learning
AU, VIC, Melbourne
Are you excited about leveraging and extending state-of-the-art Deep Learning, Information Retrieval, Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision algorithms to solve customer problems at the scale of Amazon? As an Applied Scientist Intern, you will be working in the Melbourne office in a fast-paced, cross-disciplinary team of experienced R&D scientists. You will take on complex problems, work on solutions that leverage existing academic and industrial research, and utilize your own out-of-the-box pragmatic thinking. In addition to coming up with novel solutions and prototypes, you may even deliver these to production in customer facing products. Key job responsibilities - Develop novel solutions and build prototypes - Work on complex problems in Deep Learning and Generative AI - Contribute to research that could significantly impact Amazon operations - Collaborate with a diverse team of experts in a fast-paced environment - Present your research findings to both technical and non-technical audiences - Collaborate with scientists on writing and submitting papers to top ML conferences, e.g. NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, AISTATS, ACL ICCV, CVPR, KDD. Key Opportunities: - Work in a team of ML scientists to solve applied science problems at the scale of Amazon - Access to Amazon services and hardware - Potentially deliver solutions to production in customer-facing applications - Opportunities to be hired full-time after the internship Join us in shaping the future of AI at Amazon. Apply now and turn your research into real-world solutions!
Applied Science Manager , C360
US, WA, Seattle
We are working on improving shopping on Amazon using the conversational capabilities of large language models and through customer behavioral data to make them more personalized for each customer. We are searching for pioneers who are passionate about technology, innovation, and customer experience, and are ready to make a lasting impact on the industry. In this role, you will be managing a team working on Large Language Model (LLM) and/or Vision-Language Model (VLM) post-training and alignment for new shopping experiences. You’ll be working with talented scientists, engineers, and technical program managers (TPM) to innovate on behalf of our customers. If you’re fired up about being part of a dynamic, driven team, then this is your moment to join us on this exciting journey!
Applied Scientist II, Perception
US, MA, N.reading
Amazon is on a mission to redefine the future of automation — and we're looking for exceptional talent to help lead the way. We are building the next generation of advanced robotic systems that seamlessly blend cutting-edge AI, sophisticated control systems, and novel mechanical design to create adaptable, intelligent automation solutions capable of operating safely alongside humans in dynamic, real-world environments. At Amazon, we leverage the power of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and advanced robotics to solve some of the most complex operational challenges at a scale unlike anywhere else in the world. Our fleet of robots spans hundreds of facilities globally, working in sophisticated coordination to deliver on our promise of customer excellence — and we're just getting started. As a Applied Scientist in Robot Perception, you will be at the forefront of this transformation. You will develop and deploy state-of-the-art perception algorithms that enable robots to truly understand and interact with the physical world — bridging the gap between theoretical research and real-world impact. Bringing deep expertise in Computer Vision and a nuanced understanding of the capabilities and limitations of modern Vision-Language Models (VLMs), you will innovate boldly and push the boundaries of what's possible. Our vision for the Perception layer is ambitious: to enable seamless, intelligent interaction between the user, the robot, and its environment. This is a rare opportunity to work at the intersection of deep learning, large language models, and robotics — contributing to research that doesn't just advance the field, but reshapes it. You will collaborate with world-class teams pioneering breakthroughs in dexterous manipulation, locomotion, and human-robot interaction, all at an unprecedented scale. Join us in building intelligent robotic systems that will define the future of automation and human-robot collaboration. Key job responsibilities - Design, develop, and deploy perception algorithms for robotics systems, including object detection, segmentation, tracking, depth estimation, and scene understanding - Lead research initiatives in computer vision, sensor fusion and 3D perception - Collaborate with cross-functional teams including robotics engineers, software engineers, and product managers to define and deliver perception capabilities - Drive end-to-end ownership of ML models — from data collection and labeling strategy to training, evaluation, and deployment - Mentor junior scientists and engineers; contribute to a culture of technical excellence - Define and track key metrics to measure perception system performance in real-world environments - Publish research findings in top-tier venues (CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, ICRA, NeurIPS, etc.) and contribute to patents A day in the life - Train ML models for deployment in simulation and real-world robots, identify and document their limitations post-deployment - Drive technical discussions within your team and with key stakeholders to develop innovative solutions to address identified limitations - Actively contribute to brainstorming sessions on adjacent topics, bringing fresh perspectives that help peers grow and succeed — and in doing so, build lasting trust across the team - Mentor team members while maintaining significant hands-on contribution to technical solutions
Applied Scientist, Stores Economics & Science (SEAS)
US, WA, Seattle
Stores Economics and Science (SEAS) is an interdisciplinary science and engineering team in Amazon's Stores organization with a peak-jumping mission: we apply expertise in science and engineering to move from local to global optima in methods, models, and software. We pursue this mission by leveraging frontier science; collaborating with partner teams; and learning from the tools, experience, and perspective of others. We scale by solving problems, first in the small to prove concepts, and then in the large by building scalable solutions. We also help other teams within Amazon scale by hiring and developing the best and embedding them in other business units. In 2026, we are focused on economics and science in areas related to (1) lowering cost-to-serve, (2) optimizing selection, and (3) emerging machine learning. We also have some ongoing and highly-leveraged collaborations that help partner teams inside Amazon short-circuit months of R&D or otherwise look around corners. We are looking for an Applied Scientist to build and deliver state-of-the-art science and engineering solutions to improve our Stores business. In this role, you will work in a team of scientists and engineers with backgrounds in machine learning, NLP, IR, statistics, and economics to identify bottlenecks in our business, conceive new ideas to overcome those challenges, and deploy scientific solutions in partnership with product teams. Your responsibilities include developing and maintaining the scientific models, benchmarks, and services. Graduate education or hands-on experience in machine learning, optimization, causal inference, Bayesian statistics, deep learning, or other quantitative scientific fields is a big plus. To be successful in this role, you should be a quick learner and comfortable with a high degree of ambiguity. Key job responsibilities The successful candidate will lead large-scale science initiatives from research to production and translate complex business problems into mathematical frameworks. They will design and implement large-scale algorithms for complex supply chain and marketplace problems, and design incentive-compatible mechanisms for marketplace challenges. The ideal candidate will have a strong publication record in top-tier conferences/journals (INFORMS, EC, WINE, ICML, NeurIPS, etc.) and experience coordinating cross-functional projects. Hands-on experience building science solutions to mechanism design problems (e.g., optimal auction design, welfare maximization under constraints, incentive compatible coordination), with expertise in statistical learning and algorithm development. Leadership responsibilities include influencing technical strategy and roadmaps for complex initiatives, influencing senior stakeholders and shaping technical direction, and fostering team growth.
Applied Scientist II, Sponsored Products
US, NY, New York
The Sponsored Products and Brands team at Amazon Ads is re-imagining the advertising landscape through cutting-edge generative AI technologies, revolutionizing how millions of customers discover products and engage with brands across Amazon.com and beyond. We are at the forefront of re-inventing advertising experiences, bridging human creativity with artificial intelligence to transform every aspect of the advertising lifecycle from ad creation and optimization to performance analysis and customer insights. We are a passionate group of innovators dedicated to developing responsible and intelligent AI technologies that balance the needs of advertisers, enhance the shopping experience, and strengthen the marketplace. If you're energized by solving complex challenges and pushing the boundaries of what's possible with AI, join us in shaping the future of advertising. Key job responsibilities Participate in the Science hiring process as well as mentor other scientists - improving their skills, their knowledge of your solutions, and their ability to get things done. Identify and devise new video related solutions following a customer-obsessed scientific approach to address customer or business problems when the problem is ill-defined, needs to be framed, and new methodologies or paradigms need to be invented at the product level. Articulate potential scientific challenges of ongoing or future customers’ needs or business problems, and present interventions to address them. Independently assess alternative video related technologies, driving evaluation and adoption of those that fit best A day in the life As an Applied Scientist on the Sponsored Brands Video team, you will work with a team of talented and experienced engineers, scientists, and designers to help bring new products to market and ensure that our customers are delighted by what we create. The Sponsored Brands Video team is responsible for the design, development, and implementation of Sponsored Brands Video experiences worldwide. About the team The Sponsored Brands Video team within Sponsored Products and Brands creates relevant and engaging video experiences, connecting advertisers and shoppers. We are on a mission to make Amazon the best in class destination for shoppers to discover, engage and build affinity with brands, making shopping delightful, & personal.
Applied Scientist, Fauna
US, NY, New York
We are seeking an Applied Scientist to lead the development of evaluation frameworks and data collection protocols for robotic capabilities. In this role, you will focus on designing how we measure, stress-test, and improve robot behavior across a wide range of real-world tasks. Your work will play a critical role in shaping how policies are validated and how high-quality datasets are generated to accelerate system performance. You will operate at the intersection of robotics, machine learning, and human-in-the-loop systems, building the infrastructure and methodologies that connect teleoperation, evaluation, and learning. This includes developing evaluation policies, defining task structures, and contributing to operator-facing interfaces that enable scalable and reliable data collection. The ideal candidate is highly experimental, systems-oriented, and comfortable working across software, robotics, and data pipelines, with a strong focus on turning ambiguous capability goals into measurable and actionable evaluation systems. Key job responsibilities - Design and implement evaluation frameworks to measure robot capabilities across structured tasks, edge cases, and real-world scenarios - Develop task definitions, success criteria, and benchmarking methodologies that enable consistent and reproducible evaluation of policies - Create and refine data collection protocols that generate high-quality, task-relevant datasets aligned with model development needs - Build and iterate on teleoperation workflows and operator interfaces to support efficient, reliable, and scalable data collection - Analyze evaluation results and collected data to identify performance gaps, failure modes, and opportunities for targeted data collection - Collaborate with engineering teams to integrate evaluation tooling, logging systems, and data pipelines into the broader robotics stack - Stay current with advances in robotics, evaluation methodologies, and human-in-the-loop learning to continuously improve internal approaches - Lead technical projects from conception through production deployment - Mentor junior scientists and engineers
Applied Scientist, Prime Video - Content Localization, Understanding & Enrichment
US, WA, Seattle
Prime Video is a first-stop entertainment destination offering customers a vast collection of premium programming in one app available across thousands of devices. Prime members can customize their viewing experience and find their favorite movies, series, documentaries, and live sports – including Amazon MGM Studios-produced series and movies; licensed fan favorites; and programming from Prime Video subscriptions such as Apple TV+, HBO Max, Peacock, Crunchyroll and MGM+. All customers, regardless of whether they have a Prime membership or not, can rent or buy titles via the Prime Video Store, and can enjoy even more content for free with ads. Are you interested in shaping the future of entertainment? Prime Video's technology teams are creating best-in-class digital video experience. As a Prime Video team member, you’ll have end-to-end ownership of the product, user experience, design, and technology required to deliver state-of-the-art experiences for our customers. You’ll get to work on projects that are fast-paced, challenging, and varied. You’ll also be able to experiment with new possibilities, take risks, and collaborate with remarkable people. We’ll look for you to bring your diverse perspectives, ideas, and skill-sets to make Prime Video even better for our customers. With global opportunities for talented technologists, you can decide where a career Prime Video Tech takes you! As an Applied Scientist, you will apply state of the art natural language processing and computer vision research to video centric digital media. We are looking for scientists with expertise in vision-language models/multimodal LLMs and long-form content understanding (full movies/episode vs. short clips). You will be dealing with architectures that handle long-context understanding and causal reasoning across extended temporal sequences. Key job responsibilities Our team builds multi-modal machine learning technologies to enrich and understand video content. We aim not only to understand individual components within the content itself, but also their relationships to each other to provide a holistic and broader contextual understanding. This powers the next generation of video understanding and search capabilities for Prime Video. About the team Prime Video's Content Localization, Understanding & Enrichment organization is responsible for 1) enabling Prime Video to "see" and "understand" video content including characters, scenes, dialogue, events & visual elements and 2) delivering localized, accessible content that meets a consistent cinematic quality standard at scale. This team's mission is to deeply understand all content and empower all customers with relevant language options, innovative accessibility assists, and rich title-information across all their content-experiences on Prime Video. We create and publish content on-time that's meaningful, accurate, and accessible to every customer globally. We delight our customers by pushing the boundaries of content understanding and enrichment. Through inclusion and innovation, we do the most fulfilling work of our career.
Data Scientist II, Amazon Currency Convertor
US, WA, Seattle
How to use the world’s richest collection of e-commerce data to improve payments experience for our customers? Amazon Payments Data Science team seeks a Data Scientist for building analytical solutions that will address increasingly complex business questions in the Amazon Currency convertor space. Amazon.com has a culture of data-driven decision-making and demands insights that are timely, accurate, and actionable. This team provides a fast-paced environment where every day brings new challenges and new opportunities. As a Data Scientist in this team, you will be driving the analytics roadmap and will provide descriptive and predictive solutions to the Amazon currency convertor business team through a combination of Gen AI, LLM and other machine learning techniques for text analytics, segmentation and prediction. You will need to collaborate effectively with internal stakeholders, cross-functional teams to solve problems, create operational efficiencies, and deliver successfully against high organizational standards. Key job responsibilities • Understand the applications of causal inference models on real datasets, including assessment of marketing campaigns, online experiments, uplift analysis etc • Understand the business reality behind large sets of data and develop meaningful solutions comprising of analytics as well as marketing management • Work closely with internal stakeholders like the business teams, engineering teams and partner teams and align them with respect to your focus are • Innovate by adapting new modeling techniques and procedures • Effective exploratory data analysis, and model building using industry standard regression and classification techniques such as Random Forest, XGBoost package, Keras framework • Demonstrate thorough technical knowledge Fine Tuning of Amazon LLMs to handle large blocks of text, using Generative AI to solve for summarization tasks and prevent catastrophic forgetting, feature engineering of massive datasets, • Be passionate about working with huge data sets and be someone who loves to bring datasets together to answer business questions. You should have deep expertise in creation and management of datasets • Have exposure at implementing and operating stable, scalable data flow solutions from production systems into end-user facing applications/reports. These solutions will be fault tolerant, self-healing and adaptive
Postdoctoral Researcher – Visual Localization & Navigation | Amazon Last Mile
US, CA, Santa Cruz
Amazon is looking for talented Postdoctoral Scientists to join our research team for a full-time research position focused on visual localization and navigation for real-world applications. Our work focuses on developing next-generation assistive technologies and logistics platforms that rely on robust, scalable visual perception systems. We are building solutions that enable devices and agents to understand, localize within, and navigate complex real-world environments—from indoor spaces with dynamic layouts to large-scale outdoor settings. We are looking for Postdoctoral Scientists to work at the intersection of computer vision, SLAM, and scene understanding—supporting innovations that will be deployed to real systems at global scale. The core technical challenges include building metric-semantic maps of complex environments, performing robust visual relocalization under appearance change, maintaining long-term map consistency, and achieving accurate monocular localization using both geometric and learning-based approaches—all under real-time constraints on real hardware. The solution space is deliberately open-ended. We are looking for researchers who want to push the boundaries of visual localization and spatial AI—and see their work running on real platforms within months. Key job responsibilities In this role you will: * Work closely with a senior science advisor, collaborate with other scientists and engineers, and be part of Amazon’s vibrant and diverse global science community. * Publish your innovation in top-tier academic venues and hone your presentation skills. * Be inspired by challenges and opportunities to invent cutting-edge techniques in your area(s) of expertise. A day in the life 0
Sr Data Scientist, SPX AI Lab, SPX Science
US, WA, Seattle
Amazon Seller Assistant is our flagship GenAI-first, multi-agent system that reimagines Seller experience. Our vision is to provide each seller with a proactive, autonomous, agentic assistant that understands their business and helps them navigate the complexities of selling by anticipating their needs, surfacing insights, resolving issues, taking actions on their behalf, and helping them grow. Amazon Seller Assistant helps millions of sellers on Amazon serve billions of customers worldwide. We are seeking a world-class Senior Data Scientist to help define and build the next generation of Amazon Seller Assistant. You will partner with top-tier scientist, engineers and product teams to launch production-grade agentic capabilities at Amazon's scale — owning your problem space end-to-end, from a crisp customer insight to a shipped product that millions of sellers rely on. Key job responsibilities • Own the science vision, strategy, and roadmap for a key Seller Assistant capability area. • Define and ship agentic experiences — sub-agent onboarding, tool onboarding, evaluations— that solve hard seller problems at scale. • Partner with scientists and engineers to translate frontier AI research into production-grade features sellers trust and depend on. • Design rigorous evaluation frameworks — automated and human-in-the-loop — to measure agent quality, accuracy, and business impact. • Deep-dive into seller data, identify unmet needs, and write compelling PRFAQs that set the direction for your team. • Drive cross-functional alignment across science, engineering, UX, and business teams to deliver with speed and quality. About the team Amazon Seller Assistant team operates at the very frontier of agentic AI and agentic commerce — not as a research group, but as a team shipping production-grade, multi-agent systems used by millions of sellers worldwide. We move with the urgency of a startup and the resources of the world's most customer-obsessed company, the latest breakthroughs in science and engineering into capabilities that sellers rely on every day.
See more jobs
View from space of a connected network around planet Earth representing the Internet of Things.
Get more from Amazon Science
Subscribe to our newsletter

Amazon.com | Conditions of Use | Privacy | © 1996-2026 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

Social