Archive · 25 Sep 2026
Amazon Seeks Former Employees for AI Roles After Layoffs
Amazon has laid off more than 30,000 workers during several rounds of job cuts.
Now, it is asking some former employees if they would like to come back.
Many of the possible openings involve artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Former workers may already understand Amazon's systems and how the company operates.
The outreach reportedly includes some people affected by recent layoffs.
Amazon says it has rehired former employees before and that this practice applies across the company.
The company has also been reorganizing its AI teams after several senior executives left.
This does not mean Amazon has ended its broader job cuts; it is hiring selectively for roles it considers important.
Amazon is contacting eligible former employees about returning to roles across the company.
The outreach is especially visible in artificial intelligence and machine-learning operations.
The effort follows more than 30,000 job cuts through several rounds over the past year.
An internal initiative was reportedly named the “Swami's Boomerang Reengagement Initiative.”
Amazon says rehiring former employees is a long-established practice across its business, not only in AI or AWS.
- Who
- Amazon and eligible former employees, including people with AI and machine-learning experience.
- What
- Amazon is contacting former workers about returning to roles across the company, with notable outreach in AI and machine learning.
- When
- The outreach is occurring months after major layoffs and during an ongoing AI reorganization.
- Where
- Across Amazon, including Amazon Web Services and its AI operations.
- Why
- Amazon is seeking experienced talent for strategically important openings while restructuring its AI operations.
Targeted AI Hiring
Routine Companywide Rehiring
Nature of the outreach
Targeted AI Hiring
The outreach appears particularly focused on former employees with AI and machine-learning experience as Amazon expands its AI capabilities.
Routine Companywide Rehiring
Amazon says the practice extends beyond AI and Amazon Web Services and is part of its established recruitment process across the company.
Relationship to layoffs
Targeted AI Hiring
The contacts may include people affected by recent cuts, suggesting Amazon is selectively rebuilding teams after eliminating roles elsewhere.
Routine Companywide Rehiring
Amazon has not said how many people contacted were laid off, and the outreach does not indicate that its broader job cuts have been reversed.
Reason for rehiring
Targeted AI Hiring
Former employees could provide specialized experience and an existing understanding of Amazon's internal systems.
Routine Companywide Rehiring
The company presents the outreach as a normal option for filling open roles, rather than a separate program limited to former AI or cloud workers.
- Layoffs
- More than 30,000 positions were eliminated through several rounds of cuts over the past year.
- Recruitment focus
- The outreach is particularly visible in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
- Reported initiative
- The effort was reportedly called the “Swami's Boomerang Reengagement Initiative.”
- Named leader
- The initiative was reportedly named after Swami Sivasubramanian, who leads Amazon's AI agent organization.
- Company position
- Amazon says rehiring former employees is a long-established recruitment practice across the business.
- Unknown figures
- Amazon has not disclosed how many former employees were contacted or rehired.
- AI restructuring
- Amazon reorganized its AI operations under senior vice-president Peter DeSantis earlier this year.