Amazon nabs AI boffin from Xerox PARC

Amazon has hired Ashwin Ram, an ex-Xerox PARC employee and a researcher in cognitive science, in an effort to step up its AI R&D department. Although Amazon have not officially released a statement, Ram announced on Twitter that he was "excited to join Amazon." A spokesperson from Amazon has confirmed his appointment but refused to provide further comment. Ram is described as Alexa AI senior manager on his LinkedIn profile. Ram had served as the Chief Innovation Officer at Xerox PARC, a venerate Silicon Valley R&D powerhouse whose noted luminaries include the creators of Ethernet, the world's first WYSIWYG editor, the GUI, the mouse, and laser printing.