Amazon, the e-commerce platform, has reportedly developed a new generative artificial intelligence (AI) model, codenamed Olympus, capable of processing images and videos in addition to text. This development could reduce Amazon's reliance on third-party AI providers like Anthropic, according to a recent report by The Information.

The introduction of Olympus AI is likely to place Amazon, as a competitor to Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI in the generative AI race. The large language model (LLM) aims to enhance customer interactions by enabling understanding in visual content. For example, users might search for a specific moment, such as a decisive basketball shot, using text prompts, as per the report.

This move comes as Amazon intensifies its investment in generative AI, following a $4 billion infusion into Anthropic earlier this year. Anthropic's Claude chatbot, a feature on Amazon Web Services (AWS), is among the tools Amazon seeks to complement with its proprietary technology, according to the report.

Amazon may officially unveil Olympus during the AWS re:Invent customer conference next week, a flagship event for its cloud computing division, according to a source cited by The Information.