GeekWire
GeekWire brings you the week's latest technology news, trends and insights, covering the world of technology from our home base in Seattle. Our regular news podcast features commentary and analysis from our editors and reporters, plus interviews with special guests.
Tue, April 15, 2025
Melinda French Gates on life transitions, tech, and speaking her truth
On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, Melinda French Gates joins us to discuss her new book, The Next Day , a personal and philosophical reflection on life’s transitions. French Gates opens up about her emotional and spiritual journey of the past few years, the lessons she’s learned from therapy and motherhood, and how she’s now using her full voice through her company, Pivotal Ventures. We talk about her billion-dollar commitment to women’s advancement, the promise and pitfalls of AI, and what it means to pause, reflect, and take action — especially in uncertain times. Hosted by GeekWire reporter Lisa Stiffler. Audio editing by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, April 12, 2025
From Microsoft to Modernist Cuisine: Nathan Myhrvold on Tech, AI, and Innovation
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we're featuring highlights from a live interview with Nathan Myhrvold , CEO of Intellectual Ventures and former chief technology officer at Microsoft. Myhrvold worked at Microsoft from 1986 to 2000, where he laid the groundwork for Microsoft Research, recruited top computer scientists, and played a key role in shaping the company’s technology strategy. Since leaving Microsoft, he has worked across fields including energy, science, physics, paleontology, photography, and high-tech cuisine. In this conversation, recorded at Town Hall Seattle as part of GeekWire’s Microsoft@50 event , Myhrvold shares his thoughts on the rise of AI, his longtime collaboration with Bill Gates, the future of energy, the secrets of Microsoft’s success, and what’s next in his Modernist Cuisine book series . Edited by Curt Milton; With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, April 05, 2025
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on the company's 50th, and what's next
On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we talk with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella about the company's 50th anniversary, and where it's headed from here. Plus, highlights from Microsoft’s 50th anniversary event in Redmond, which featured a rare joint appearance by Nadella with former leaders Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. The day also reflected Microsoft's role in an increasingly complex global landscape, with a CNBC interview focusing in part on the impact of tariffs on the company and the global economy, and a protest outside the event condemning the use of the company’s technologies to support Israel in the ongoing war in Gaza. Related coverage: Inside Microsoft’s 50th: Iconic moments, strong memories, and the realities of the outside world Gates, Ballmer, Nadella and Copilot: Microsoft CEOs past and present engage in podcast chat with AI Inside the Microsoft Archives: How the tech giant preserves, shares, and learns from its history Microsoft@50 is an independent GeekWire editorial project supported by Accenture. More in GeekWire’s Microsoft@50 series AI Dreams: Microsoft@50, Chapter 1 Microsoft President Brad Smith on AI, global turmoil, and key issues facing the tech giant at 50 Microsoft’s startup story: How the company became a tech giant, and what we can learn from it today A new era for Windows: Can Microsoft’s longtime engine power another tech revolution? ‘The Road Ahead’ at 30: What Bill Gates’ classic book about the future says about the world today Bill Gates on Microsoft at
Sat, March 29, 2025
Inside Amazon's attempt to reinvent Alexa for the new era of AI
This week on the GeekWire Podcast : A conversation with Daniel Rausch , Amazon’s vice president of Alexa and Echo, recorded at the company’s Seattle headquarters. Rausch explained the company’s vision for Alexa+ , Amazon's next-generation voice assistant, in advance of its upcoming rollout through an early access program. Alexa+ promises more fluid conversations with users, integrating with more services and devices for new capabilities, including the ability act autonomously on behalf of a user. It's a significant upgrade for Amazon's longtime voice assistant, judging from the live demos that Rausch walked us through before and after the podcast recording. But it remains to be seen how much value people will find in using their voice in those situations, rather than the tried-and-true simplicity of using a smartphone app or web browser. And at a fundamental level, Amazon is playing catch-up with OpenAI's ChatGPT and many other AI chatbots in the world of conversational artificial intelligence. Related links: What Alexa’s AI upgrade means for Amazon’s business and Alexa users Amazon’s new Alexa+ uses generative AI to personalize conversations and automate tasks With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wed, March 26, 2025
Microsoft@50: Steve Ballmer on what worked, what didn’t, and what he still believes in
On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast , as part of our Microsoft@50 special series, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer reflects on his remarkable tenure at the company he helped shape for more than three decades. We talk about his early days working alongside Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the biggest mistake during his tenure, and his take on the company these days as its largest shareholder. He also opens up about his post-Microsoft pursuits — from his data-driven mission with USAFacts to transforming the NBA fan experience with the L.A. Clippers. And we hear his message for his former Microsoft colleagues. Ballmer's conversation with GeekWire's Todd Bishop was recorded live in front of an audience at GeekWire's Microsoft@50 event at Town Hall Seattle, March 20, 2025. Microsoft@50 is an independent GeekWire editorial project supported by Accenture. More in GeekWire’s Microsoft@50 series AI Dreams: Microsoft@50, Chapter 1 Microsoft President Brad Smith on AI, global turmoil, and key issues facing the tech giant at 50 Microsoft’s startup story: How the company became a tech giant, and what we can learn from it today A new era for Windows: Can Microsoft’s longtime engine power another tech revolution? ‘The Road Ahead’ at 30: What Bill Gates’ classic book about the future says about the world today Bill Gates on Microsoft at 50, and what’s next for AI and innovation More : Microsoft@50 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, March 22, 2025
Microsoft President Brad Smith on AI, global turmoil, and key issues facing the tech giant at 50
This week on the GeekWire Podcast: A conversation with Microsoft President Brad Smith, on stage at GeekWire’s Microsoft@50 event this week at Town Hall Seattle, discussing the company’s anniversary and what’s next for the industry and the world. Related Links Microsoft@50 recap: Company faithful mark first 50 years and look to future at GeekWire event Microsoft president: Proposed Washington state business taxes would weaken tech sector Links discussed in the podcast intro : Using AI to uncover allegations in the JFK files of the CIA secretly funding a series of spy novels to influence public opinion in the 1960s. Fireballs, foxholes, and cryogenic suspension: Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman’s greatest quips With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, March 15, 2025
The meaning of Rocket's Redfin deal; Microsoft Copilot meets Xbox
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss the big real estate technology news of the week: Rocket Companies, the mortgage, real estate and personal finance giant, is buying Redfin , the Seattle-based tech-powered real estate company that has been a longtime disrupter in the world of buying and selling homes. Joining us to assess the implications are Stephanie Reid-Simons , who oversees the news team at RealEstateNews.com as a senior vice president with the news site; and Tim Ellis , a former Redfin market analyst who's a podcaster and blogger, and a veteran of Seattle-area startups including Porch, Moz, and Glowforge. Also on the show: Microsoft brings its Copilot AI technology to gaming , but can Microsoft prove this is more than Xbox meets Clippy? We’ll consider that question in the final segment with Thomas Wilde , an independent video-game journalist and editor who writes about games for GeekWire , Hard Drive , and other publications. Join us at Microsoft@50 at Town Hall Seattle this Thursday, March 20. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, March 08, 2025
Alexa's AI upgrade: What it means for Amazon's business and Alexa users
This week: Michael Levin and Josh Lowitz of Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) discuss the state of Amazon's Alexa and Echo business, and what the recently announced Alexa+ service means for the company and users. CIRP studies consumer behavior to provide insights for investors and industry leaders. Related links and coverage CIRP : Amazon Report on Substack . (Check out CIRP's Apple Report , as well.) CIRP's Amazon Report: Alexa, Should I Pay for Alexa+? Or Get a New Echo? GeekWire: Amazon’s new Alexa+ uses generative AI to personalize conversations and automate tasks Amazon : Introducing Alexa+, the next generation of Alexa With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, March 01, 2025
Hanging up on Skype; Google's future in Seattle; Inside Microsoft's quest for a quantum leap
This week on the Geekwire Podcast: Google prepares to say goodbye to Seattle's Fremont neighborhood , we get ready to say farewell to Skype ; and we take a quantum leap with one of Microsoft's top technical leaders in the field: Chetan Nayak , technical fellow and corporate vice of quantum hardware for the company. Related stories and links: End of an era: Microsoft to shut down Skype, shifting users to Teams, 14 years after $8.5B deal Microsoft quantum breakthrough promises to usher in the next era of computing in ‘years, not decades’ Amazon’s new quantum chip joins race to enable next era of computing Google sets long-term plan to exit Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, consolidate in South Lake Union Tech investors on why AI makes this a great moment for startups — with one caveat With GeekWire's Taylor Soper and Todd Bishop; Audio editing by Curt Milton See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, February 22, 2025
Microsoft's quantum breakthrough; WA state targets Uber and Lyft; GeekWire 200; Bezos and Bond
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss Microsoft's quantum computing breakthrough; a Washington state bill that targets Uber and Lyft surge pricing; the latest update to the GeekWire 200 ranking of Pacific Northwest startups; and Amazon's move to take creative control of the James Bond movie franchise. Related Links Microsoft quantum breakthrough promises to usher in the next era of computing in ‘years, not decades’ GeekWire 200 update: Here are the hot tech startups moving up our list for Q1 2025 Lawmakers take aim at Uber and Lyft with bill targeting surge pricing after big events Amazon MGM Studios strikes deal for 007, takes over creative control of James Bond film franchise With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop and editor Taylor Soper. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, February 18, 2025
Innovation at Microsoft: Success, struggles, and lessons learned
A new book, The Insider's Guide to Innovation at Microsoft , finds universal business lessons in the company's successes and also its failures, through case studies about different products and teams in various scenarios and stages of evolution. The book was written by two Microsoft business strategists and innovation leaders: Dean Carignan , who now focuses on AI in the company's office of the chief scientist; and JoAnn Garbin , who created and led Microsoft's Regenerative Datacenter of the Future program as part of its sustainability initiatives. We speak with Carignan about the book on this special episode of the Geekwire Podcast, as part of our Microsoft @ 50 series. Microsoft @ 50 is an independent GeekWire editorial project supported by Accenture . Learn more and register here for our Microsoft @ 50 event, March 20 in Seattle. More in GeekWire’s Microsoft @ 50 series AI Dreams: Microsoft @ 50, Chapter 1 Microsoft’s startup story: How the company became a tech giant, and what we can learn from it today A new era for Windows: Can Microsoft’s longtime engine power another tech revolution? ‘The Road Ahead’ at 30: What Bill Gates’ classic book about the future says about the world today Microsoft alums were surprised by the sheer scale of its success, new oral history project shows Bill Gates on Microsoft at 50, and what’s next for AI and innovation Hosted by Todd Bishop; edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, February 15, 2025
'Open source will win': Allen Institute for AI CEO Ali Farhadi on the new era of artificial intelligence
It has been a wild few weeks and eventful few months in AI: DeepSeek, OpenAI, Stargate, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Salesforce, Google, Elon Musk, and more. In all of this, there's a heightened focus on what it takes to train AI models and the importance of open-source AI. This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we get insights from Ali Farhadi , CEO of the Allen Institute for AI (Ai2) , the Seattle-based nonprofit that has been innovating in open-source AI since long before it was popular. "If the U.S. wants to maintain its edge ... we have only one way, and that is to promote open approaches, promote open-source solutions," Farhadi says, reflecting on the past few months. "Because no matter how many dollars you're investing in an ecosystem, without communal, global efforts, you're not going to be as fast." Related Coverage and Links: Allen Institute for AI's new open-source iOS AI app runs on-device for secure, private, offline use Allen Institute for AI challenges DeepSeek on key benchmarks with big new open-source AI model Allen Institute for AI’s new model points to items in images, aims to make bigger point in industry New York Times: An Industry Insider Drives an Open Alternative to Big Tech’s A.I. Ken Yeung, "The AI Economy" newsletter: Ai2: The AI House That Paul Allen Built Ai2 Blog: OLMoE, meet iOS Hosted by GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wed, February 12, 2025
Bill Gates, Part 2: Microsoft at 50, and the next big opportunities for AI and innovation
For this latest installment in our Microsoft @ 50 series, we talk with Bill Gates about the company's 50th anniversary, parallels between AI and the early days of the PC, and where he sees the next big opportunities for innovation. This is part of a wide-ranging interview coinciding with the release of his new book, Source Code: My Beginnings . We published Part 1 of the interview last week, focusing on his upbringing in Seattle, the influential people in his life, the early days of the company, and his perspective on events now unfolding in the world. Microsoft @ 50 is an independent GeekWire editorial project supported by Accenture . Learn more and register here for our special Microsoft @ 50 event, March 20, 2025, in Seattle. More in GeekWire’s Microsoft @ 50 series AI Dreams: Microsoft @ 50, Chapter 1 Microsoft’s startup story: How the company became a tech giant, and what we can learn from it today A new era for Windows: Can Microsoft’s longtime engine power another tech revolution? ‘The Road Ahead’ at 30: What Bill Gates’ classic book about the future says about the world today Microsoft alums were surprised by the sheer scale of its success, new oral history project shows Hosted by GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, February 08, 2025
Amazon, AI, and the cloud: A reality check, with Corey Quinn of 'Last Week in AWS'
Our guest this week is Corey Quinn , the chief cloud economist at The Duckbill Group , the host of the AWS Morning Brief and Screaming in the Cloud podcasts, and the curator of Last Week in AWS , a weekly newsletter. Apart from his newsletter and podcasts, Quinn's day job involves helping AWS customers understand and manage their bills. Amid all the AI hype and billions in capex spending, he uses those insights to provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse and a reality check on the state of the cloud market today. RELATED LINKS Amazon on pace for $100B+ in yearly capex; Jassy expects cost efficiencies to drive AI demand Amazon’s quarterly profits soar to a record $20 billion, but cloud growth comes up short Platformonomics: Charles Fitzgerald breaks down Amazon's capital expenditures With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, February 04, 2025
Bill Gates, Part 1: His remarkable upbringing, and outlook on the world today
In advance of the release of his new memoir, Source Code: My Beginnings , Bill Gates sat down with GeekWire for a wide-ranging conversion on topics including his extraordinary upbringing in Seattle, the key people and influences in his life, the remarkable circumstances and luck that led to his work in software, and his outlook on the world today. RELATED: Bill Gates’ book ‘Source Code’ is a surprisingly candid memoir of the Microsoft mogul’s early years We're presenting this interview in two parts, this one focusing on Gates' new book and his life, and where the world is headed from here. On an upcoming episode, as part of our Microsoft @ 50 series , we'll hear his thoughts on the evolution of the company that he and Paul Allen started five decades ago, the opportunities in artificial intelligence, and what's next for Microsoft and the industry. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Contributing: Kevin Lisota. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, February 01, 2025
DeepSeek reality check; Amazon, Kuiper, Bezos, and the Post; lost in the Microsoft garage
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we dive deep into DeepSeek, the AI project that shaking up the tech world, to better understand the underlying technical advances and the long-term implications for the industry. Joining us is Bill Howe , an associate professor at the University of Washington's Information School and the co-founding director of the UW Center for Responsible AI Systems and Experiences , among other UW roles. Related stories: DeepSeek’s new model shows that AI expertise might matter more than compute in 2025 Allen Institute for AI challenges DeepSeek on key benchmarks with big new open-source AI model Microsoft CEO says AI use will ‘skyrocket’ with more efficiency amid craze over DeepSeek Who will win in AI? DeepSeek’s breakthrough stirs questions around value capture We open the show from the Microsoft campus in Redmond, after getting an inside look at the company's history for an upcoming installment in our Microsoft @ 50 series . John marvels at the size of new campus project, which is still under way, and we experience first-hand the company's vast parking garage when we try to leave. Also on our agenda this week: Amazon's lawsuit against Washington state over a Washington Post public records request, and what it says about the conflicts inherent to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' ownership of the newspaper. Related story: Bezos vs. Bezos: Amazon sues WA state over Washington Post request for Kuiper records With GeekWire's Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, January 25, 2025
Stargate, OpenAI and Microsoft; BlueSky in Seattle; and Madrona's big new funds
This week, we delve into the Project Stargate announcement by OpenAI, Oracle and Softbank, in conjunction with President Trump, and assess the implications for OpenAi's relationship with Microsoft. We explain what Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella really meant with his CNBC zinger about the Stargate investment, and consider how Elon Musk's involvement in the new administration could play out in the tech industry. PLUS, we discuss Madrona's big new funds and the potential impact on startup activity in the Pacific NW, and find a revealing piece of Microsoft history on an old CD-ROM. Related stories: Microsoft and OpenAI tweak the terms of their cloud deal, enabling $500B Stargate AI project ‘I’m good for my $80 billion’: What Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella really meant by his Stargate zinger CNBC: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on $500B Stargate project: Our partnership with OpenAI continues Madrona raises $770M for new funds — here’s what the Seattle VC firm is betting on Cascade PBS: The rise of Bluesky, a not-so-Seattle-based social media company Microsoft @ 50: ‘The Road Ahead’ at 30: What Bill Gates’ classic book about the future says about the world today Learn more and register here for our special Microsoft @ 50 event, March 20, 2025, in Seattle. With GeekWire's Todd Bishop and John Cook. Editing by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fri, January 24, 2025
Revisiting 'The Road Ahead': Bill Gates' classic book, and its insights for today
For this installment in our Microsoft @ 50 series , GeekWire revisited Bill Gates’ classic book from the mid-1990s, The Road Ahead, with the benefit of three decades of hindsight. We found in its pages a vision for technology that was essentially on the mark — foreseeing pervasive access to information, the rise of smart devices, and the central role of the internet in business, education, and the home. We also discovered striking parallels and insights relevant to the AI revolution we're experiencing today. https://www.geekwire.com/2025/the-road-ahead-at-30-what-bill-gates-classic-book-about-the-future-says-about-the-world-today/ On this episode, we get the behind-the-scenes story of the book from Peter Rinearson , a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, writer, entrepreneur, and former Microsoft VP, who co-authored The Road Ahead with Gates and former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold. Microsoft @ 50 is an independent GeekWire editorial project supported by Accenture . Learn more and register here for our special Microsoft @ 50 event, March 20, 2025, in Seattle. https://www.geekwire.com/events/geekwire-microsoft50/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, January 18, 2025
Inside Amazon's strategic planning process; the state of the Seattle startup community
This week on the GeekWire Podcast: An inside look at Amazon's classic process for strategic thinking and decision-making, with a former Amazon product and technology director who has written new book about the documents used by the company to determine its direction. What can others learn from its approach? Plus, we break down this pivotal moment in Amazon's history, as employees return to the office five days a week; and we check in on the state of the Seattle startup world. Our guest is Marcelo Calbucci , a serial entrepreneur and longtime Seattle startup community leader who has worked for both Amazon and Microsoft. His new book is The PRFAQ Framework: Adapting Amazon's Innovation Framework to Work for You . It's available in hardback and Kindle . Calbucci has also created a giveaway contest for GeekWire readers and listeners. Enter here for a chance to win a copy of the book. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited and produced by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, January 11, 2025
The state of AI in 2025: A solopreneur software developer's view on where the tech is headed
This week, Seattle-area software developer and AI entrepreneur Patrick Husting of Ghostwriter AI and the Equestrian App returns to the show to talk about the evolution of artificial intelligence over the past two years, how people are using the technology today, and where things are headed in 2025. Related links Can Microsoft avoid the ghost of Clippy? Familiar theme emerges in Copilot rollout for Office apps ‘Ghostwriter’ in the machine: How this software developer is integrating AI into work and life Microsoft Word gets ChatGPT integration with new ‘Ghostwriter’ third-party add-in WSJ: Microsoft Is Forcing Its AI Assistant on People—and Making Them Pay Elon Musk's xAI Launches Standalone Grok App Boy Genius Report: ChatGPT o1 hacked a chess game to cheat against a better opponent With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited and produced by Curt Milton See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, January 04, 2025
'From impossible to merely difficult': AI meets a vintage 1980s musical gadget
What happens when you mix modern AI with a piece of vintage technology and the musical stylings of a very amateur guitarist? You might be surprised. That's the subject of this week's episode. GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop's fun holiday project, revisiting a favorite gadget from his youth, illustrated some bigger themes about the AI that has emerged in the past two years, and the role it can play in life and work. Read more here: 'From impossible to merely difficult': AI meets a vintage 1980s musical gadget See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, December 21, 2024
AI, tech talent, and regional innovation: A swan song from retiring WTIA CEO Michael Schutzler
Michael Schutzler , the newly retired CEO of the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) , joins us on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast to reflect on his 11 years running the not-for-profit trade association, assess the state of the tech industry in Seattle and Washington state, and discuss what's next for him. Schutzler, who has been succeeded as WTIA's CEO by Kelly Fukai , previously its COO, wrote about the extraordinary history of the state's tech industry in a recent post marking the WTIA's 40th anniversary and his retirement. See more highlights from the episode in this GeekWire post . Related coverage: WTIA CEO Michael Schutzler retiring after 11 years leading Washington state tech group WTIA honors 40 years of boosting Washington’s tech sector as new CEO aims for more impact With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, December 14, 2024
Insights from Uncommon Thinkers: How these innovators found novel approaches in their fields
This week on the GeekWire Podcast , we sit down with some of the Seattle region’s “Uncommon Thinkers” — inventors, scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs transforming industries and driving positive change in the world. We recorded the episode on location, backstage at the GeekWire Gala, where we recognized five Uncommon Thinkers through this annual awards program , presented in partnership with Greater Seattle Partners . Speaking on the episode are: Uri Shumlak , co-founder and chief scientist at Zap Energy , a physicist leading a team in pursuit of fusion energy, taking a different approach from others in the field. Read the profile. Ingrid Swanson Pultz , CTO at Mopac Biologics , and translational advisor at the UW Institute for Protein Design , a microbiologist who led the development of a gluten-destroying enzyme. Read the profile . Chris Dunckley , director of chemistry and engineering of TerraPower Isotopes , a chemical engineer who leads a team turning radioactive waste into cancer therapy. Read the profile . Andy Lapsa , aerospace engineer and CEO of Stoke Space , a company focused on developing fully and rapidly reusable space vehicles using a liquid cooling technique for re-entry. Read the profile. Also featured in in the Uncommon Thinkers series: Hanna Hajishirzi of the Allen Institute for AI and the UW's Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, who focuses on open-source Ai models. <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2024/uncommon-thinkers-h
Sat, December 07, 2024
Amazon Nova, the future of AI, and more from the AWS re:Invent show floor
Amazon's AI strategy came into focus this week with the unveiling of Amazon Nova, its new family of homegrown AI models, a new AI model marketplace for Amazon Bedrock, and other news from the AWS re:Invent conference in Las Vegas. It turns out we've seen this before. As the company's AI strategy emerges, there are numerous similarities to its e-commerce business including low cost, broad selection, products from Amazon and its selected vendors, and a marketplace. ( This Fortune piece by reporter Jason Del Rey explores these parallels in detail.) After spending four days in Las Vegas, attending sessions, and talking with AWS executives and attendees, GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook offer their takeaways and dissect Amazon's AI strategy on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, recorded on location at the GeekWire Studios booth on the show floor. Related links and coverage Apple makes surprise cameo at AWS re:Invent Amazon unveils ‘Nova’ AI models, looking to make its mark in the generative AI revolution ‘An easy button to get off Windows’: Amazon’s new AI moves Microsoft apps to Linux Amazon expands Bedrock with new AI model marketplace, a day after unveiling its own ‘Nova’ Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, November 30, 2024
AI, Google Docs, and the messiness of innovation, with Microsoft Deputy CTO Sam Schillace
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, our guest is Sam Schillace , a deputy CTO at Microsoft and author of the new book, "No Prize for Pessimism," the first title from Microsoft's new publishing imprint , 8080 Books. Schillace discusses the importance of optimism in innovation, drawing parallels between the early cloud era and the current AI revolution. He also shares his past experiences as one of the creators of Google Docs, and emphasizes the value of tackling difficult, non-obvious problems. Related Links: Sam Schillace's Sunday Letters on Substack. The No Prize for Pessimism custom GPT . No Prize for Pessimism on Amazon. GeekWire: Microsoft turns a new page in the book business with its own publishing imprint With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, November 23, 2024
Elon Musk’s problem with Microsoft; What the GeekWire 200 says about the startup scene
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI , which now includes Microsoft, and assess the complexities of the OpenAI-Microsoft partnership, as illustrated by early email exchanges revealed in the lawsuit. We also consider the latest update to the GeekWire 200 , our ranked index of Pacific Northwest technology startups, including the rise of Highspot to the top spot, and other trends in the Seattle region's startup ecosystem. And we share highlights from tech events around the region this week, including the WTIA's 40th Anniversary , where Mayor Bruce Harrell addressed AI and the incoming presidential administration; and an interesting takeaway from a panel of startup leaders whose companies made the latest Deloitte Technology Fast 500 list . Related links and coverage Internal emails: Elon Musk wanted to keep OpenAI from becoming ‘Microsoft’s marketing bitch’ GeekWire 200 update: A new No. 1 rises to the top of our startup rankings WTIA honors 40 years of boosting Washington’s tech sector as new CEO aims for more impact Seattle mayor, who sits on a federal AI panel, says he’ll seek ways to work with Trump administration With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, November 16, 2024
How Amazon is adapting to the TikTok generation
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we dive into Amazon's launch of a new discount storefront called Amazon Haul, and explore what it says about the future of e-commerce and generational shifts in shopping. Guests Michael Levin and Josh Lowitz of Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) provide insights into the long-term trends around Amazon Prime membership and consumer behaviors on the platform. CIRP : Amazon Report on Substack . (Check out their Apple Report , as well.) GeekWire: Hands-on with Amazon Haul: First impressions of the e-commerce giant’s new Temu and Shein rival Amazon: Introducing Amazon Haul—a broad selection of products $20 or less, with most under $10 Business Insider: Amazon's new discount section, 'Haul,' looks like a Temu version of Temu With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wed, November 13, 2024
Microsoft’s startup story: A new look, with insights for today
This special edition of the GeekWire Podcast is the first in a four-episode series that we’ll be publishing in the months ahead as part of our year-long Microsoft @ 50 project , recognizing the company’s 50th anniversary in April 2025. On this episode, we’ll take a fresh look at Microsoft’s startup story with tech historian and author Margaret O’Mara of the University of Washington, author of The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America ; plus highlights from a recent conversation with David Marquardt, Microsoft’s first outside investor and a longtime board member. Register here for our Microsoft @ 50 event, March 20, 2025, in Seattle. Microsoft @ 50 is an independent GeekWire editorial project supported by Accenture . With GeekWire Co-Founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, November 09, 2024
What Trump 2.0 means for tech, Diller nixes Expedia + Uber, GeekWire fall update
This week on the GeekWire Podcast , it's a grab-bag of topics, including self-driving wheelchairs, Expedia Group Chairman Barry Diller's comments on the prospects for an acquisition by Uber, and an update on GeekWire's upcoming events and coverage. In the final segment, we discuss what the new Trump administration could mean for technology regulation, including the FTC's antitrust case against Amazon and oversight for tech M&A. Related coverage and links NYT: Tech Giants Face a Familiar Uncertainty With Trump Expedia chairman Barry Diller on potential deal with Uber and Washington Post’s ‘blunder’ Sea-Tac Airport’s self-driving wheelchairs are getting stymied by unexpected obstacles Upcoming GeekWire Events GeekWire Gala, Dec. 12: Register here . Microsoft @ 50: Special series and March 20 event . With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, November 02, 2024
Rumors, AI, and the 2024 election
This week, with just days to go before the Nov. 5 election, we take a fresh look at AI, social media, and some surprising trends in the spread of fake content and misinformation, with Danielle Lee Tomson , research manager for election rumors at the University of Washington Center for an Informed Public . Guest host Ross Reynolds speaks with Tomson about AI, social media, and some surprising trends in the spread of rumors online. Related links and stories: Substack: Election Rumor Research @ Center for an Informed Public New York Times: As Election Looms, Disinformation ‘Has Never Been Worse’ Washington Post: Don’t say ‘vote’: How Instagram hides your political posts Edited by Curt Milton. Music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wed, October 30, 2024
Amazon devices chief Panos Panay on the new color Kindle, AI, and his first year on the job
Our guest on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast is Panos Panay , Amazon's senior vice president of Devices & Services, a longtime leader in the world of consumer technology. It has been one year since he started at Amazon , after his surprise departure from Microsoft , where he oversaw products including Surface and Windows. Panay's division at Amazon includes the Alexa voice assistant and Echo devices, but that's just the start. His purview also spans Kindle e-readers, Fire tablets, Zoox self-driving taxis, Eero wireless networking devices, Ring and Blink cameras, Fire TV devices, and Kuiper, the company's nascent satellite internet business. The focus this week is Kindle, with the Oct. 30 release of the Kindle Colorsoft , the first color device in Amazon's line of market-leading e-readers, selling for a premium price of $279.99. It's part of a new era for the Kindle business, driven in part by book-loving social media influencers and consumers looking for simplicity and focus in a world of non-stop smartphone alerts. We also talked about AI, including the generative AI summaries coming with the next-generation Kindle Scribe tablet, due out in December . Panay wasn't ready to dish on what's next for Alexa in conversational AI, but he made it clear that he's bullish on AI in general, and doesn't believe it's a passing fad. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, October 26, 2024
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff on AI agents, Microsoft, Seattle tech, and the future of humanity
Our guest this week is Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, who says he has never been as excited about anything in his career as he is about the latest developments in artificial intelligence — AI agents that can autonomously reason, plan, and take action on behalf of businesses. Benioff is almost as strong in his negative sentiments toward Microsoft's Copilot. He calls Copilot the second coming of Microsoft's much-maligned "Clippy" Office assistant, and asserts that the Redmond company is giving AI a bad name by disappointing customers with underwhelming results and lax security. We spoke with Benioff in advance of the general availability of the San Francisco company's Agentforce AI technology for sales and service. We also talked about Benioff's ownership of Time magazine, and what that means for his political involvement; and the status of his past pledge to turn Seattle into Salesforce's HQ2. Related Links Is the world ready for autonomous AI? Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff makes the case for agents Microsoft 365 Copilot rollouts slowed by data security, ROI concerns Salesforce founder Marc Benioff swears off politics after buying Time magazine Seattle will become Salesforce HQ2 via $15.7B Tableau deal, as Benioff gushes about talent pool With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, October 19, 2024
Uber + Expedia? Ballmer on 60 Minutes; 1980s Silicon Valley revisited; What's next for AI
This week, we imagine the possibility of Uber buying Expedia Group , based on a report by the Financial Times this week that the ride-hailing company has considered a bid for the online travel giant. It would be notable in part because Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi was Expedia Group’s CEO from 2005 to 2017 and remains on the company’s board. In the second segment, we enjoy highlights from the "60 Minutes" profile of former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer , and a separate appearance by University of Washington historian and author Margaret O'Mara on an episode of the podcast "60 Minutes: A Second Look" about the rise of Silicon Valley in the early 1980s. And finally, we talk about our new Geekwire project, Microsoft @ 50 , and get a window into what's next in AI from Peter Lee , the Microsoft Research president. He shares the top three technical challenges and opportunities on his mind when it comes to the future of artificial intelligence. This is bonus content from an interview for the first story in the series, published this week , tracing the evolution of AI inside Microsoft. With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, October 12, 2024
Amazon puts AI in delivery vans; Ex-AMZN exec Dave Clark's new startup; AI vs. cancer
Artificial intelligence and automation are transforming the way companies get stuff to stores and doorsteps, changing the world of logistics, transportation and the supply chain, as demonstrated by a few Amazon-related stories we covered this week: Amazon's unveiling of a new "Vision-Assisted Package Retrieval (VAPR) system for the cargo hold of its electric Rivian vans; The announcement of Amazon’s next-generation fulfillment center , with updated and expanded versions of its robotics systems in Shreveport, La. Former Amazon executive Dave Clark's launch of a new supply chain technology startup , based in the Seattle area, with $100 million in funding out of the gate. Those are our topics in our first two segments of the show this week. In the third segment, we hear more about the new Cancer AI Alliance spearheaded by Seattle’s Fred Hutch Cancer Center, in partnership with other national cancer research organizations and major tech companies including Amazon, Microsoft and Nvidia. With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, October 05, 2024
Talking with AI, with our special guest host, Microsoft Copilot
We were looking for a guest expert to discuss the new Microsoft Copilot features on the show this week, when we realized, why not go straight to the source? Our guest host for the first segment of the show is Microsoft Copilot, taking advantage of the new voice interaction mode rolled out by the company this week. RELATED: New Microsoft Copilot features include natural AI voice interactions and daily news summary In the second segment, we get a behind-the-scenes view of this and other new features with a couple of clips from Mustafa Suleyman, the CEO of Microsoft AI, from the closing session at Madrona’s Intelligent Applications Summit on Wednesday afternoon in downtown Seattle. He spoke on stage with S. “Soma” Somasegar, a former Microsoft executive who is now a managing director with the venture capital firm. RELATED: Microsoft AI CEO sees long-term memory as key to unlocking future AI experiences And in the final segment, GeekWire's Todd Bishop and John Cook — two humans! — assess Todd's conversation with Microsoft Copilot in the first segment, reflecting on the evolution of artificial intelligence and where it still falls short of human capability. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, September 28, 2024
Software pioneer Charles Simonyi on the quest for galactic discoveries
Charles Simonyi is known in the tech industry for his work at Microsoft. He played a leading role in creating Word, Excel and other programs back in the 1980s. He rejoined the company in 2017 with its acquisition of his startup, Intentional Software. But he's had a longtime fascination with space, taking two trips to the International Space Station, in 2007 and 2009, and helping to fund a long-awaited new space survey telescope in Chile that bears his family's name. On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, Simonyi speaks with Geekwire contributing editor Alan Boyle, the veteran space and science journalist, about the new Simonyi Survey Telescope, the potential for new discoveries, and his longtime fascination with space. Related story: Tech leader Charles Simonyi provides a wide-angle view of the telescope that bears his family name Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, September 21, 2024
Amazon's quest to become a startup again; Driverless cars, 6 years later
Amazon's decision to bring its employees back to the office five days a week is a window into the challenges facing the e-commerce and technology giant, and CEO Andy Jassy's larger plan to get the company to operate like "the world's largest startup" again. Plus, GeekWire's John Cook gets into the back seat of a driverless car for the first time since 2018 , and has a very different experience . Coverage of Amazon's announcement: Amazon ‘will return to being in the office the way we were’ before the pandemic, CEO tells employees ‘The way we were’: Amazon tries to rekindle its future by rediscovering a spark from the past Thoughts on Amazon’s full return to the office from a CEO who knows the value — and the trade-offs A ‘home run’ or a ‘cowardly’ decision? Amazon’s new in-person work policy elicits cheers and jeers Amazon’s new back-to-office mandate fuels debate over remote work and productivity Waymo links and related stories: NPR: Armed with traffic cones, protesters are immobilizing driverless cars GeekWire in 2018: We rode in Uber’s self-driving car, and now we’re less confident in the future of autonomous vehicles Video of John's Waymo ride this week. The Verge: Waymo and Uber expand their robotaxi partnership to Austin and Atlanta With John Cook and Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, September 14, 2024
Who is the real Bill Gates? Examining the evolution of a tech icon
Our guest this week is Anupreeta Das, author of the new book, "Billionaire, Nerd, Savior, King: Bill Gates and His Quest to Shape Our World." Das is the South Asia correspondent for The New York Times. This week's guest host, Ross Reynolds , is an interviewer and moderator who is well-known in the Seattle region from his 34 years at KUOW, the public radio station from which he retired in 2021. Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, September 07, 2024
E Ink's 'Wizard of Oz' moment: Color arrives on writing tablets and e-readers
The market for E Ink tablets reached a pivotal moment this week with reMarkable's unveiling of its new Paper Pro — now with color E Ink, not just black-and-white. Now the big question is whether Amazon will join the trend with a color Kindle e-reader or Kindle Scribe. The technology enabling the shift from black-and-white to color is the Gallery 3 color display , from E Ink Holdings , a company that spun out of the MIT Media Lab in 1997. On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we learn more from Timothy O’Malley , associate vice president of U.S. operations at E Ink, about the evolution of the technology and the growing applications for E Ink displays. Related links: Challenged by Amazon, reMarkable unveils new ‘Paper Pro’ color tablet. Launch event video for the reMarkable Paper Pro. Here's the color-changing car mentioned by Tim on the show. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, August 31, 2024
New Starbucks CEO's supercommute, SeaTac cyberattack, more on AI music generators
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we revisit the controversy over Starbucks' hybrid work policy for its new CEO, Brian Niccol; discuss the cyberattack that crippled computer systems at Sea-Tac Airport in the Seattle area this week; and provide an update on last week's episode about AI text-to-music generators . Articles and topics discussed on this episode: Hybrid policy for new Starbucks CEO sparks debate over remote work, corporate jet emissions Starbucks’ New CEO Has a Big Carbon Footprint - WSJ Starbucks’ New CEO Will Take Charge Without Training Wheels - Bloomberg Steve Ballmer Chases NBA Glory at Intuit Dome, the LA Clippers’ Gleaming New Home Plane English: Sea-Tac Airport turns to pen and paper to replace digital displays after cyberattack Port of Seattle outage continues two days after suspected cyberattack by ‘nefarious characters’ GeekWire’s quest for an AI theme song opened our ears to the debate rattling the music industry GeekWire Podcast listener Fortunato Vega shares his AI-generated theme song on LinkedIn . With Todd Bishop and Taylor Soper. Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, August 24, 2024
GeekWire's quest for an AI theme song
Our regular GeekWire Podcast segment “My AI” didn’t have a musical jingle. So of course, we decided to use AI to create one. You can hear the results and our reactions on this week’s show. It's a glimpse into the issues rattling the music industry. Even when the music isn't great, the technology is pretty incredible. But as we discuss, the underlying issues are a lot more complicated. With John Cook, Todd Bishop, and Taylor Soper; Audio editing by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, August 13, 2024
What the new Starbucks CEO could mean for the coffee giant's digital future
The naming of Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol as the new Starbucks CEO on Tuesday gives the Seattle-based coffee giant a new leader from the restaurant and fast casual industry with experience leading a digital transformation. We discuss what that could mean on this special mid-week episode of the GeekWire Podcast. Related Coverage : Starbucks’ new CEO brings extensive digital experience from prior role leading Chipotle See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, August 10, 2024
What the Google ruling means for Microsoft Bing; Amazon delivery dilemma; Seattle's return to office
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we look at the implications of the Google antitrust ruling for Microsoft Bing, and conclude that they probably aren't as rosy for the Redmond company as they might have appeared initially. Plus, a rural community offers a window into Amazon's relationship with the independent companies that deliver its packages around the world. And finally, the City of Seattle gets support from Amazon and resistance from workers in response to its decision to bring them back to the office for three days a week, up from two days previously. Related coverage ‘Google is a monopolist’: Tech giant loses antitrust suit over search business in huge victory for DOJ City of Seattle increasing in-office work to three days for more than 13,000 employees Driven away: Overloaded by Amazon, rural delivery companies reach the end of the road With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop and editor Taylor Soper. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wed, August 07, 2024
Zillow CEO transition: A conversation with Rich Barton and Jeremy Wacksman
Zillow Group named a new CEO, longtime company executive Jeremy Wacksman, announcing that co-founder and two-time CEO Rich Barton will be shifting to the new role of co-executive chair of the real estate media and technology company, joining co-founder Lloyd Frink in the role. Barton and Wacksman join GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop to talk about the transition on this special episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, August 03, 2024
Microsoft, Amazon, AI, the economy, and another bad tech ad
This week on the GeekWire Podcast , we take a closer look at the earnings reports from Microsoft and Amazon this week, as a litmus test for artificial intelligence demand and the state of the economy. We also consider the implications of Boeing's new CEO being based in the Seattle region, discuss a new AI tool that aims to streamline marketing tasks, and weigh in on the backlash to Google's Olympics ad for its Gemini AI chatbot Microsoft capital spending soars to $19B, betting big on AI, as Azure growth underwhelms Wall Street Amazon sales come up short, profits nearly double Amazon looks to reduce costs to compete more aggressively on price as consumer habits shift Boeing chooses its next CEO — and he will reportedly be based back in Seattle Seattle tech vets launch 'Spok,' an AI copilot that aims to streamline marketing tasks – GeekWire CNBC: Google pulls AI ad for Olympics following backlash With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop and editor Taylor Soper. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, July 27, 2024
Microsoft's misunderstood era: Ben Gilbert of 'Acquired' on the tech giant's most pivotal years
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, our guest is entrepreneur and investor Ben Gilbert , co-founder and co-host of the hit podcast Acquired . Ben and his colleague David Rosenthal have developed a huge following for their deep-dive, long-form podcasts telling the stories behind some of the most successful companies in the world, and they recently released Microsoft Volume II , the second installment in their epic exploration of the Redmond-based technology giant. We talk about Microsoft's misunderstood era, with help from some archival highlights from GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop's interviews with Bill Gates over the years. It’s a timely topic given Microsoft’s 50th anniversary in 2025 and the company's resurgence as one of the most valuable and relevant companies in the tech industry with the rise of AI. Before we jump in, we ask Ben to catch us up on all things Acquired. The podcast is the talk of Silicon Valley and Wall Street, as documented in a Wall Street Journal profile . Acquired just announced a live arena show coming up on Sept. 10 featuring Mark Zuckerberg at Chase Center in San Francisco, the home of the Golden State Warriors. Edited and produced by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, July 20, 2024
Beyond the CrowdStrike outage: The larger forces at play, and a long-term view on cybersecurity
This week: the aftermath of the CrowdStrike outage, the larger forces at play, the future of cybersecurity, and where the world is headed long-term. Our guest is Erik Moore , a veteran of the cybersecurity field and program director for the online Master of Science Program in Cybersecurity Leadership at Seattle University's Albers School of Business and Economics. Moore says cybersecurity companies are facing faster and more complex threats due to factors including AI, and geopolitical and financial forces, requiring quicker responses. Current testing and deployment processes need to be overhauled handle these new challenges effectively. But long-term, he's optimistic about where the field and the world are headed. Related Links GeekWire News Coverage: ‘A little frightening’: CrowdStrike outage puts Microsoft’s role in global IT back in the spotlight CrowdStrike Blog Post: Technical Details on Today’s Outage Microsoft: Helping our customers through the CrowdStrike outage Seattle University: Master of Science Program in Cybersecurity Leadership CNBC: CrowdStrike update that caused global outage likely skipped checks, experts say KING-5: CrowdStrike Outage Hits Microsoft Channel News Asia: What do we know about CrowdStrike? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, July 13, 2024
OpenAI wants NYT's notes; AI meets email; Startup vets eye EV charging marketplace
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we catch up on the latest twist in the New York Times' lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft over the alleged use of its reporting to train GPT-4 and other large language models. The NYT is fighting OpenAI’s request to turn over reporters’ notes, interview memos, and other materials used to produce stories, to prove they were worthy of copyright. On a related topic, we take a closer listen to Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman's comments about AI and fair use at the Aspen Ideas Festival, which were more nuanced than some of the coverage might have made them appear. Watch Suleyman's full conversation with Andrew Ross Sorkin here . Turning to the Seattle startup scene, an entrepreneurial supergroup has quietly formed a new electric vehicle charging startup, Juicer Energy , that appears poised to create a marketplace connecting homeowners and others with personal EV charging stations to EV owners in need of places to charge up their vehicles. In the return of our "My AI" segment, we explore the concept of using AI to turn email into a database that can be intelligently mined, in this case with Google Gemini in Gmail and Google Workspace . We also talk about using Microsoft Copilot in the Edge browser for domain-specific queries, and discuss the importance of treating AI not as an authoritative oracle but rather as a partner in the quest for insight. On a related note, we suggest an episode of the "Think Fast, Talk Smart" podcast, called "How to Chat with Bots." (Thanks to Mark Briggs for the recommendation.) With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, July 06, 2024
The 'golden age' of the smart home, with ecobee CEO Greg Fyke
Greg Fyke is president and CEO of ecobee , the Toronto-based smart home company known for its pioneering smart thermostat and a growing ecosystem of devices, including security systems and smart doorbells. A former Amazon Alexa executive, he’s personally based in Seattle, exemplifying how remote work has transformed the geography of the tech industry. Fyke succeeded ecobee founder Stuart Lombard as the company's CEO last fall upon Lombard's retirement. On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, Fyke discusses the emerging "golden age" of smart home technology; ecobee's focus on simplicity, long-term functionality, and integration across ecosystems; its competition with Amazon and Google; and its approach to automation and artificial intelligence. Other topics include ecobee's November 2021 acquisition by Generac, and their broader focus on energy management solutions, leveraging components like home batteries, solar energy, and intelligent control systems. The Verge: How Ecobee is becoming the smart home company Nest should have been Greg Fyke on the HomeKit Insider podcast. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Audio editing and production by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, June 29, 2024
ADHD and the tech industry: Understanding the different 'operating systems for the brain'
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we get a deeper understanding of ADHD and neurodivergence in the tech industry and the workplace. Our guest is Brett Greene , a tech community leader in the Pacific Northwest who specializes in this field in his work with companies and individuals as an executive coach. Related links Find a list of ADHD Resources on Brett Greene's website, brettgreenecoaching.com . Upcoming event: ADHD Strategies for Tech Founders and Investors : Understanding and Leveraging Neurodivergent Team Members for Maximum Success, July 18 in Bellevue, Wash. Brett Greene is founder and CEO of New Tech Northwest . With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited and produced by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, June 22, 2024
AI, VC, and the next big opportunity in tech, with 'Startup Project' host Nataraj Sindam
As the creator and host of the "Startup Project" podcast , Seattle-area tech senior product manager Nataraj Sindam talks with a wide range of investors and entrepreneurs, contributing to his broad perspective on the future of artificial intelligence, investing, startups, and business technology. He's also author of the Above Average email newsletter, and venture partner with Incisive Ventures . Our topics this week include: The opportunity to apply the power of large language models and generative AI to the larger world of business-to-business applications, including services tailored to workflows in specific industry verticals. How AI will drive a massive increase in data centers in the next 5-10 years to meet increased demand for compute and storage, and will require new "intelligence layers" in cloud infrastructure. The opportunities and challenges for startups to compete with large tech companies in developing foundational AI technologies, and where tech investors are focusing when it comes to AI startups. The different incentives in a traditional startup approach (focusing on getting to a minimum viable product) vs. long-term AI moonshots, exemplified by former OpenAI leader Ilya Sutskever's new venture . Apple's efforts to integrate AI into its applications and operating systems , and the tradeoffs between the Apple ecosystem and the more wide-ranging Windows/Android platform approach. In the return of our "My AI" segment, we discuss a useful way to quickly get a summary of YouTube videos using the Copilot sidebar in the Microsoft Edge browser. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Audio editing and production by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, June 15, 2024
Cybersecurity in the age of AI, with Steve Schmidt, Amazon's chief security officer
It was a big week for cybersecurity for Seattle's tech giants. Microsoft President Brad Smith was in Washington D.C., testifying before the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee about the Redmond company's security challenges . Listen for highlights at the end of the show. Meanwhile, Amazon held its annual AWS re:Inforce cloud security conference in Philadelphia.The rise of AI has added some big new wrinkles to the issue of cybersecurity, and AI was one of the main topics in a conversation that I had a few weeks ago with one of the people who keynoted the AWS event this week , Steve Schmidt, Amazon's chief security officer. Hosted by Todd Bishop; edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, June 08, 2024
How this professor teaches AI and thinks about human creativity
Our guest this week on the GeekWire Podcast is Léonard Boussioux , an assistant professor in the Department of Information Systems and Operations Management at the University of Washington's Foster School of Business, and adjunct assistant professor at the UW Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering. Boussioux received his doctorate in operations research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research combines areas including machine learning and AI with a focus on healthcare and sustainability. Last year he launched a class called "Generative AI in the Era of Cloud Computing" at the Foster School. Foster School: A New Era Of AI And Human Ingenuity In The Classroom Boussioux's website, including photography and AI art: www.leobix.us TEDxMIT Salon presentation: Let Art Be Your Superpower TEDxBoston: How to Solve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals in 5 mins. Related Story : How a photo of OpenAI’s Sam Altman, enhanced by AI, sparked a journalistic debate at GeekWire With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, June 01, 2024
AI, the brain, and the crowd, with CMU prof Niki Kittur
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we explore the frontier of crowd-augmented cognition, the concept of humans working together with the help of technology, including new ways that artificial intelligence is changing the field. Our guest is Aniket (Niki) Kittur , a professor in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, where his research focuses on new methods of augmenting human intellect using crowds and computation. We also talk about a related project that Kittur and his colleagues developed called Skeema , a browser tab manager that helped users organize their work, projects, and ultimately their brains in the process. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, May 25, 2024
Microsoft Copilot+ PCs: Has the AI computer revolution finally arrived?
Microsoft and major PC makers this week announced a plan to incorporate artificial intelligence directly into personal computers , adding on-board neural processing units (NPUs) as part of a new architecture that promises better performance, longer battery life, and local AI processing that unlocks new capabilities and features. We discuss the new Copilot+ PCs with our guest on this week's GeekWire Podcast, Stefan Weitz , an investor and entrepreneur who worked at Microsoft for 18 years in groups including Microsoft Bing and MSN. He is the founder of the new HumanX conference on AI taking place in March 2025 in Las Vegas. Weitz is bullish on the potential for Copilot+ PCs to improve the overall computing experience and motivate Windows PC users to upgrade their machines, a long-awaited milestone for Microsoft's flagship operating system. The new Copilot+ PCs have also raised security and privacy concerns , focused primarily on the "Recall" feature that takes regular screenshots of user activity on the machine, creating an index that can be queried using AI. The company released an FAQ that emphasized the underlying security and privacy controls for users, but also made it clear that the feature will be activated if users accept the defaults during initial bootup of a new machine. Weitz also shares some of his favorite AI apps and tools, including Cleft Notes and Read AI . Audio editing by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, May 18, 2024
The rise of 'Technocapitalism' and its impact on humanity, with economist Loretta Napoleoni
This week's episode features an interview with Loretta Napoleoni , conducted by Ross Reynolds , the longtime public radio host and occasional GeekWire Podcast guest host, in an event presented by Town Hall Seattle on April 18, 2024. Loretta Napoleoni is an Italian economist and journalist whose books include "Rogue Economics" and "Insurgent Iraq." Her newest book is “ Technocapitalism: The Rise of the New Robber Barons and the Fight for the Common Good. " In this interview, she explains the concept of the "present future." This refers to the disorienting era in which we're living, characterized by rapid technological change that creates anxiety and a feeling of being constantly behind. She also discusses the control of technology by a few powerful entrepreneurs, whom she calls "technocapitalists," and the failure of society and the state to direct technological innovation for the common good. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, May 11, 2024
Inside the GeekWire Awards: What's next for AI, the economy, and startups
This week, we go inside the GeekWire Awards, our annual recognition of the top people, companies and innovations in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, which drew a sold-out crowd to the Showbox Sodo on Thursday May 9 in Seattle. We talk with finalists about AI, the economy and key trends in their industries, and we hear from some of the winners on stage during the program. RELATED Photos: Inside the GeekWire Awards, with the big winners, musical numbers and surprise guests GeekWire Awards 2024 revealed: Winners bask in momentum of AI and potential of region See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, May 04, 2024
Amazon vs. Trader Joe's; Bill Gates still a force at Microsoft; Inside the Binance founder's sentencing
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss Amazon's efforts to compete with Trader Joe's , and the related tactics revealed in "The Everything War," the new book by Dana Mattioli of the Wall Street Journal. We also revisit last week's episode with Mattioli and share some of the reactions to the discussion. Plus, the FTC probes Amazon's internal use of Signal's disappearing messages featur e, a newly disclosed email shows how Microsoft scrambled to catch up in artificial intelligence , and a new report says that Bill Gates is still a highly influential figure inside Microsoft, especially when it comes to the company's AI strategy. Finally, we go inside the Seattle courtroom where a prominent figure from the cryptocurrency world, Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, received a controversial prison sentence this week . Other stories discussed on the show: Amazon stock rises as Q1 earnings top estimates with $143.3B in revenue; AWS sales up 17% DoorDash rips Seattle over minimum wage law; reports record quarterly revenue of $2.5B Prudential to shut down Assurance, the insurance tech startup it acquired for $2.35B in 2019 KING5: Binance founder Changpeng Zhao sentenced to 4 months for allowing money laundering Business Insider: Bill Gates is still pulling strings at Microsoft, overseeing AI ideas Internet Archive: Full text: An epic Bill Gates rant See omnystudio.com/listener for
Sat, April 27, 2024
'The Everything War': Inside Amazon with author and Wall Street Journal reporter Dana Mattioli
A conversation with Dana Mattioli , Wall Street Journal reporter and author of the new book, "The Everything War: Amazon’s Ruthless Quest to Own the World and Remake Corporate Power." With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, April 20, 2024
Who will be the Next Tech Titan? Previewing the GeekWire Awards
This week on the show, we get a sneak preview of the GeekWire Awards, coming up at the Showbox SoDo in Seattle on Thursday, May 9. We look back at the past winners of the Next Tech Titan title in the awards, and consider the event's track record in predicting major companies to emerge from Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. We also contemplate the evolution of the "Workplace of the Year" category through the rise of remote and hybrid work. And finally, we consider the impact of migration on another part of state: Spokane, Wash., and the Inland Northwest. See more GeekWire Awards coverage , and learn more about the event , which is presented by Astound Business Solutions. With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, April 13, 2024
Amazon CTO Werner Vogels on AI, healthcare, and sustainability
This week on the show, we sit down with Werner Vogels , the Amazon chief technology officer, at Amazon in Seattle. We talked about the evolution of artificial intelligence, the promise of AI in healthcare and the environment, his broader tech predictions for the year, and one of his most iconic traditions at the company's annual cloud conference. Read more on GeekWire: Amazon CTO Werner Vogels on the rapid progress of AI, and its impact on society Werner Vogels - All Things Distributed Archive of Now Go Build episodes AWS re:Invent 2023 - Keynote with Dr. Werner Vogels Tech Predictions for 2024 and beyond @Werner on X. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, April 06, 2024
AI for Good, with Microsoft's Juan Lavista Ferres
This week on the show: Computer scientist Juan Lavista Ferres is corporate vice president and chief data scientist at Microsoft, and the lab director of Microsoft's AI for Good research lab , leading a team of data scientists and researchers in AI, machine learning and statistical modeling, focusing on global challenges like health, climate change, and digital literacy. He's one of the editors and authors of the new book AI for Good, Applications, in Sustainability, Humanitarian Action and Health , featuring case studies from Microsoft, to be published by Wiley on April 9. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, March 30, 2024
Inside a Tesla Cybertruck; how police dogs find devices; Ballmer's comedian son
This week on the GeekWire Podcast : Reporter Kurt Schlosser takes us inside a Tesla Cybertruck , explains what it was like to drive one, and tells us how people reacted to the futuristic vehicle as it debuted on the streets of Seattle. Also on the show, Kurt shares details from his recent story about Nala , the Seattle Police Department's electronics-detecting police dog, and explains how these law-enforcement K9s are trained to find all sorts of devices. And in our final segment, we hear a clip from comedian Pete Ballmer , the son of Steve Ballmer, about growing up as one of the kids of the former Microsoft CEO . With GeekWire's Todd Bishop and Kurt Schlosser. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, March 23, 2024
Microsoft's big AI hires, U.S. vs. Apple, and graffiti-fighting drones
This week on the show, we peel back the layers of Microsoft's hiring of AI pioneer Mustafa Suleyman and colleagues from Inflection AI, considering how it plays into the trend of the Redmond company striking deals that look a lot like acquisitions, without actually being acquisitions. Then, we delve into the U.S. Justice Department’s landmark antitrust lawsuit against Apple, and consider the parallels to the DOJ's prior case against Microsoft. And finally, we ponder Washington state's plan to fight graffiti with drones. Additional Links S. "Soma" Somasegar: Analysis: Microsoft’s big hires foreshadow bold new move into consumer AI Newcomer: Microsoft’s Non-Acquisition Acquisition (second item) The Information: Microsoft Agreed to Pay Inflection $650 Million While Hiring Its Staff Bill Barr in the Wall Street Journal: Siri, Does Apple Violate Antitrust Law? DOJ: Justice Department Sues Apple for Monopolizing Smartphone Markets The Verge: DOJ’s sweeping Apple lawsuit draws expert praise With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, March 16, 2024
Inside the plan to save Zulily, with the star of CNBC's 'The Profit'
This week on the GeekWire Podcast : The rise, fall, and revival of Zulily. We revisit one the most prominent ecommerce brands to come out of Seattle, explain its decline, and consider a plan by Beyond Inc. , led by investor and entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis, to acquire its brand assets and relaunch the site. With GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper and co-founder Todd Bishop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, March 09, 2024
AI's transparency problem: Tech leaders advocate for new insights into training data
Artificial intelligence is a powerful technology that promises to reshape the future, but it also poses many risks. One of the most pressing issues is the lack of regulation and oversight of the data used to train AI models. A new nonprofit, the Seattle-based Transparency Coalition (transparencycoalition.ai) aims to address this issue. The co-founders of the group, veteran startup founders and technology leaders Rob Eleveld and Jai Jaisimha , join us on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast to discuss their reasons for starting the organization, and their goals to help shape emerging legislation and public policy in this area. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Audio editing by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wed, March 06, 2024
AI's trust problem: Richard Edelman on the risk to the tech industry
A new report points to a crisis of trust in innovation, and the risk that rapid technological change — especially in the field of artificial intelligence — will fuel increased populism and polarization across societies. Richard Edelman , CEO of Edelman , discussed these and other findings from the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer during visits last week with the global communications firm's clients in tech-heavy Seattle and San Francisco. GeekWire sat down with Edelman during his visit to the firm's downtown Seattle office for this episode of the GeekWire Podcast. He discusses the shift in trust from top-down authority figures to local relationships, with employees and consumers expecting companies to take a stand on important issues. Edelman suggests that businesses and technology leaders need to focus on implementation, adaptation, and acceptance of innovation, and to be transparent and clear in their communication with the public. He calls for collaboration between businesses, government, NGOs, and media to ensure that innovation is well-managed and benefits society as a whole. Related links Access the full 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer report. Edelman: 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer Reveals Innovation has Become a New Risk Factor for Trust Richard Edelman: Technology Industry Watch Out, Innovation at Risk Axios: Public trust in AI is sinking across the board See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, March 02, 2024
How Microsoft, Amazon, and T-Mobile use big bets to build durable businesses
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, our guests are John Rossman and Kevin McCaffrey, authors of the new book, "Big Bet Leadership." It's a playbook for business leaders to systematically make bets in a way that reduces risk and increases long-term flexibility. The book draws lessons from the likes of Microsoft, Amazon, T-Mobile and SpaceX, while also leaning heavily on the first-hand experience of the authors overseeing and implementing big bets. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Audio editing by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wed, February 28, 2024
BONUS: Seattle after Techstars, with guest Chris DeVore
Entrepreneur and investor Chris DeVore had an inside view of Techstars Seattle as one of the original leaders of the local startup accelerator in 2010, serving as its managing director from 2014 to 2019. His Feb. 21 post "What went wrong at Techstars," looked closely at the organization's evolution — including its increased focus on corporate sponsorships and shift to centralized fundraising — as the backdrop for the news last week that Techstars is closing its Seattle accelerator as part of a broader reset . So where should Seattle's tech community go from here? And what role do startup accelerators serve in the age of AI and remote work? Devore, the founding managing director of the Founders Co-op venture fund, joins us on this bonus episode of the GeekWire Podcast to share his thoughts about what happened, and his optimism about what's next. "I think Seattle is setting itself up for a great moment in its entrepreneurial journey," he says. RELATED LINKS AND STORIES David Cohen: Techstars is evolving and growing Techstars: Techstars 2.0: Supercharging Founder Success Chris DeVore: What went wrong at Techstars GeekWire: Techstars Seattle is shutting down as accelerator shifts focus to cities with more VC activity Marcelo Calbucci: The most successful accelerator cohort ever: How this Techstars Seattle class produced 3 unicorns GeekWire Podcast: Techstars Seattle’s demise leaves a gap in the startup market See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, February 24, 2024
Techstars Seattle's demise leaves a gap in startup market
Techstars Seattle helped launch more than 160 startups over the past decade, partnered with the likes of Microsoft and Amazon to spark even more startups, and led to the creation of three companies currently valued at more than $1 billion — making it one of the most successful programs in the Techstars network. Founded in 2006 in Boulder, Colo., Techstars provides fledgling startups with early capital, coaching, mentorship, a chance to pitch to investors, and an opportunity to work for three months in a shared space with other entrepreneurs. Techstars expanded to Seattle in 2010, and for more than a decade, it worked. And then, this week, it ended. TechStars announced that it's closing its Seattle accelerator as part of a broader restructuring. So what happened? And what's next? GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper joins the show this week to address those questions. Related stories Seattle tech leaders lament departure of Techstars but remain bullish on new opportunities Techstars CEO responds to former Seattle managing director, tells him to check his facts Techstars Seattle is shutting down as accelerator shifts focus to cities with more VC activity See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, February 17, 2024
OpenAI's Sora, a new Amazon book, and 5 days a week in the office
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, stick around to the end for a late-breaking addition to the show — a bonus segment about OpenAI's new AI video generation technology Sora . Joining the show is Rahul Sood , CEO and co-founder of Irreverent Labs , a Seattle-area startup that is working on AI to turn images and text into video. We also discuss the Seattle-area startups that are bringing employees into the office five days a week; look ahead to the upcoming release of what appears to be a juicy Amazon book, due out in April; and preview the GeekWire Awards in advance of the Feb. 29 deadline for nominations . And in our "My AI" segment, we talk about a specific approach to chatting with ChatGPT on the go. With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, February 10, 2024
Bezos' big stock sale, Nadella's first 10 years, and will AI read your next book?
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, Todd Bishop and John Cook examine the timing of Jeff Bezos' plan to sell up to 50 million shares of Amazon stock, in the context of his public announcement that he would be moving to Miami; assess Satya Nadella's track record as Microsoft CEO as he reaches 10 years in the role ; and test an example of how text-to-speech applications could change the way we engage with printed books — or maybe not, based on the way one of them reacts. Audio editing by Curt Milton; theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, February 03, 2024
Apple Vision Pro, a developer's take; Defusing AI deepfakes
First up this week on the GeekWire Podcast: an inside take on developing software for the Apple Vision Pro. We talked with a longtime software developer for Apple platforms, Ken Case, co-founder and CEO of Seattle-based Omni Group , which makes productivity apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad, and just released a version of its OmniPlan project management software for the newly launched Apple Vision Pro. Related story: Apple Vision Pro: Why one longtime software shop is jumping head-first into spatial computing Then, it's AI, politics, and a new attempt to detect and defuse deepfakes. A few weeks ago on the show , Oren Etzioni, a University of Washington computer science professor and longtime artificial intelligence specialist, hinted at a secret project in the works. This week, he unveiled nonprofit, nonpartisan technology organization, TrueMedia.org , that is developing an AI-powered tool to detect AI-generated deepfake videos, photos, and audio, aiming to combat political disinformation in the leadup to the 2024 elections. We jumped back on the line with Etzioni to get the details on the new initiatives, and discuss the pros and cons of the rapid development of new generative AI tools for democracy and society. Related story: New nonpartisan AI nonprofit TrueMedia, led by Oren Etzioni, is making a political deepfake detector With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Audio editing by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, January 27, 2024
Experiments in AI, with Kevin Leneway of Pioneer Square Labs
Our guest this week is someone who is experimenting every day with AI, pushing the capabilities of the existing tools and technologies: Kevin Leneway , principal software engineer at the Pioneer Square Labs startup incubator in Seattle. He talks about the tools he's using across his personal and work life, and how they're transforming the process of innovation and creativity. He also shares details about a new project he's been working on, an AI coding assistant called JACoB . Hosted by GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, January 20, 2024
Costco vs. Amazon, Microsoft's latest Copilot, and a Zulily conspiracy theory
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we consider Microsoft's latest AI product, the $20/month Copilot Pro, compare it to the likes of ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro and Otter.ai — and realize in the process that one of us is already paying way too much for AI assistants on a monthly basis. Plus, a deep dive on Zulily bolsters a hypothesis about the motives of the private equity firm that acquired and later shut down the online retailer. And finally, we compare, contrast, and appreciate the very different approaches taken by Costco and Amazon for authenticating the identity of customers at store entrances and check-out. With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop. Related Stories: Copilot Pro vs. ChatGPT Plus: Microsoft’s new paid service offers alternative to OpenAI subscription Zulily’s downfall: How the high-flying online retailer soared, sank, and shut down Zulily sues Amazon, alleging that price-fixing and supplier coercion sank its attempts to compete Scanning against scammers: Costco testing membership card readers at store entrances See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, January 13, 2024
Amazon Ring CEO Liz Hamren on AI and the future of home monitoring
Liz Hamren has been CEO of Amazon's Ring business for almost a year, as the successor in the role to Ring founder Jamie Siminoff. Hamren previously held technology and business leadership positions at companies including Dropcam, Microsoft, Oculus, and Discord, and was involved in product launches including Xbox consoles and Meta VR headsets. In addition to Ring, she leads Blink, Amazon Key, and Amazon Sidewalk in her current role. She spoke with us recently in her first public interview since becoming Ring CEO last year. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Audio editing by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, January 06, 2024
Can AI level the playing field? Nancy Wang of Advancing Women in Tech
This week's guest, Nancy Wang, is a technology product and engineering executive, advisor, and investor. A former Amazon Web Services general manager and former Google lead product manager, she is a venture partner at Felicis Ventures, where she invests in early-stage startups in cybersecurity, enterprise infrastructure, and business-to-business software as a service. She is also founder and board chair of Advancing Women in Tech , and a contributor to Forbes. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, December 30, 2023
NY Times vs. Microsoft; Plus, Oren Etzioni on AI in 2023 and beyond
Our guest this week on the GeekWire Podcast is computer scientist and entrepreneur Oren Etzioni , assessing the past year in AI, and looking ahead to what's next. Etzioni, an AI leader for many decades, is professor emeritus at the University of Washington, Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence board member, AI2 Incubator technical director, and Madrona Venture Group venture partner. In the first segment of the show, GeekWire's John Cook and Todd Bishop discuss the big AI news of the week: The New York Times Co.'s landmark lawsuit against Microsoft and OpenAI over their use of the newspaper's articles in AI models. The New York Times sues OpenAI and Microsoft for training AI chatbots on its copyrighted work NYT v. GPT: Microsoft finds itself on the other side of an industry-defining copyright dispute Francesco Marconi in the WSJ: AI and Journalism Need Each Other Audio editing by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, December 16, 2023
Surviving Amazon: Work, life, and bias inside one of the world's most ambitious businesses
Our guest this week is Kristi Coulter, whose latest book is Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career . It’s a memoir about what she learned in her 12 years at Amazon about work, gender bias, and herself. Exit Interview is Coulter's second book. Her first, Nothing Good Can Come From This , is a collection of essays about quitting drinking. As you’ll learn from this podcast conversation, it intersects with her Amazon career. Guest hosting is Ross Reynolds , whose voice is well-known in the Seattle region from his 34 years at KUOW, the public radio station from which he retired in 2021. Production assistance from Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, December 09, 2023
How to be an 'Uncommon Thinker'
GeekWire's reporters have spent the past month profiling a group of six “Uncommon Thinkers” : Seattle-area inventors, scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs transforming industries and driving positive change in the world. This editorial series, presented in partnership with Greater Seattle Partners, was based on the deliberations of a panel of outside judges who chose the Uncommon Thinkers from nominations submitted by GeekWire readers. Working on these profiles helped us identify the commonalities among our honorees, including their inspirations, mindsets, and approaches. On this week's GeekWire Podcast, we talk with four of our Uncommon Thinkers in interviews recorded backstage at the GeekWire Gala, where we honored them this week. Read the six “Uncommon Thinkers” profiles here: UW prof and entrepreneur Shwetak Patel has a rare ‘creative brilliance’ Elizabeth Hansen uses her job as an anesthesiologist to cut carbon emissions Boundless CEO Xiao Wang on his quest to fix the immigration process For USAFacts’ Poppy MacDonald , ‘facts are paramount’ for democracy Blake Resnick finds a larger purpose in tech, making drones for public safety MagniX CTO Riona Armesmith geeks out over electric aviation With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, December 02, 2023
'Amazon Q' and the new era of AI for business
AI was the big theme inside the long-running Amazon Web Services re:Invent cloud conference in Las Vegas this week, where the company's announcements included a new AI assistant for work called Amazon Q. We spoke with Matt Wood, AWS vice president of product, about the new service and the new era of AI for business. Related Coverage: Sphere of influence? Google’s big Vegas ad buy clouds the landscape at Amazon re:Invent AWS unveils ‘Amazon Q’ AI assistant, jabs at Microsoft and OpenAI at re:Invent Inside the AI chip race: How a pivotal happy hour changed Amazon’s strategy in the cloud Amazon puts Fire TV Cube to work, repurposes streaming device for desktop computing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, November 25, 2023
What's next for Microsoft and OpenAI; Amazon car sales; disappearing unicorns
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we assess the outcome of the drama at OpenAI, considering what the removal and ultimate return of its CEO Sam Altman, and everything that happened in between, means for Microsoft. While Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella earned kudos for masterfully navigating the mess, the situation also showed how the company was vulnerable to being blindsided due to OpenAI's convoluted structure. And while for-profit interests are likely to get more influence on OpenAI's reformulated board, it's not yet clear if Microsoft will end up with a seat on that board, leaving the ultimate outcome for Microsoft unclear, for now. We also look at Amazon's move into car-buying , and examine the Seattle region's dwindling flock of unicorns. With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, November 18, 2023
The shakeup at OpenAI, and what it means for Microsoft
The surprise removal of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is the buzz of the tech industry — raising questions about the company’s role in the AI revolution, the ambitions of Altman and his team, the impact of his exit on the rest of the tech industry, OpenAI’s complex corporate structure, and its unusual partnership with Microsoft. This week, we recap the latest developments in this fast-moving story, and then talk with Matt McIlwain of Madrona Venture Group about the broader implications of Altman's ouster for Microsoft, Amazon, and the tech industry. RELATED STORY : Sam Altman’s ouster puts a new twist into OpenAI’s complicated relationship with Microsoft See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, November 11, 2023
AI pioneer Fei-Fei Li on the future of humanity
Fei-Fei Li 's new book is the story of her journey from China to the U.S., from small business to Big Tech, and from academic research to corporate life, and back again. But more than that, it's the story of the dawn of artificial intelligence, as told through her experience as one of the people summoning this new day and standing there awestruck, excited and concerned about what it will mean for humanity. Dr. Li joins us on this episode to discuss the book, The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI , published by Moment of Lift Books, an imprint from Melinda French Gates and Flatiron Books. Known for her foundational contributions to AI and computer vision, Dr. Li is the inventor of ImageNet, a large-scale dataset of images that enabled rapid advances in deep learning for visual recognition. She is a professor of computer science at Stanford University and a co-director of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, who worked as Google Cloud's chief scientist for AI/ML during a 2017-2018 sabbatical. Note: GeekWire's Todd Bishop will be speaking further with Dr. Li on Monday evening Nov. 13 at Town Hall in Seattle. See this site for details and tickets. Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, November 04, 2023
Jeff Bezos' big move, Convoy's final stop, AI meets VC
What should we make of Jeff Bezos' decision to move his primary residence from Seattle to Miami ? That's our first topic on this week's episode. Plus, Convoy's final destination; a new AI feature from Seattle startup Yoodli that helps startup founders hone their pitches; and Amazon tests Bluetooth earplugs for warehouse workers . Related stories and links ‘Seattle, you will always have a piece of my heart’: Jeff Bezos leaving Amazon’s hometown for Miami Jeff Bezos’ move out of Washington state sparks questions about wealth taxes Swimming from Seattle? Jeff Bezos’ big move brings us full circle from the mid-1990s Flexport buys Convoy’s tech; Convoy CEO Dan Lewis, other employees to join freight company AI-powered ‘VC pitch coach’ from Yoodli helps startup founders prepare to face investors Amazon tests letting warehouse workers listen to music and other audio via Bluetooth earplugs With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, October 28, 2023
Inside the AI Revolution: Tech execs on the new realities for software, startups, and the future
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we're featuring a panel discussion from the recent GeekWire Summit in Seattle, with three technology and business leaders offering first-hand insights into the new era of artificial intelligence. Bridget Frey, CTO at Redfin , the tech-powered real estate company that operates in more than 100 markets in the U.S. and Canada. Inbal Shani, chief product officer at GitHub , the software development platform used by more than 100 million developers around the world. David Shim, CEO at Read AI , a Seattle-based startup using AI to provide a new window into meetings, and transform them in the process. Frey, Shani and Shim share real-world examples of AI impacting software development, real estate, and meetings. They address topics like privacy, bias, education, and the future of work. They also discuss the changing nature of technical jobs, and a blurring of the line between developers and non-developers. From the audience, we get questions about adapting AI to account for emotional intelligence; advice for aspiring engineers; preventing synthetic content from corrupting human experiences; protecting proprietary corporate data; and the prospects for improving work-life balance as AI increases productivity. See GeekWire.com for notes and takeaways. Hosted by GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Podcast audio editing by Curt Milton. On-site A/V by Adavanza . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, October 21, 2023
What the heck happened at Convoy?
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we examine the market forces, debt, and other dynamics that put the digital freight marketplace Convoy out of business, bringing one of the Seattle region's top startups to the end of the road. Related coverage: ‘The markets crushed us’: In tearful farewell to employees, Convoy execs reflect on shutdown Convoy collapse: Read CEO’s memo detailing sudden shutdown of Seattle trucking startup Convoy raised $260 million just 18 months ago, at a valuation of $3.8 billion. Its investor list was a who's who of tech moguls and celebrities, including Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Marc Benioff, and even Bono and The Edge of U2 fame. GeekWire co-founder John Cook, who has covered startups and venture capital since before the dot-com bust, compares Convoy's implosion to past flameouts of high-profile startups, and explains the long-term trends in investing that served as the backdrop for Convoy's demise. After a long stretch of free-flowing capital at astronomical valuations, fundamental business realities are catching up to some heavily funded startups. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, October 14, 2023
Robots, AI, and the future of labor: 'Way bigger than the steam engine'
Our guest this week is Geordie Rose , co-founder and CEO of Sanctuary AI. The global conversation about robots and the workforce has shifted substantially in recent years, from concern about robots taking jobs to questions about how quickly they can fill gaps in the labor market. One of the ventures at the forefront of this issue is Sanctuary AI. It's a Vancouver, B.C.-based company that has raised more than $100 million Canadian dollars to pursue its vision for labor as a service. Sanctuary makes a 5-foot, 7-inch general-purpose humanoid robot called Phoenix, powered by an advanced AI system called Carbon. Related: With new Phoenix robot, Sanctuary AI looks to usher in ‘labor as a service’ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, October 07, 2023
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella vs. Google
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella testified this week in Google's antitrust case in Washington, D.C., supporting the U.S. Justice Department's contention that the search giant unfairly leverages its market power to stifle competition, a charge that Google vehemently disputes. On this episode of the podcast, we reenact portions of Nadella's testimony, explain the positions staked out by Microsoft and Google in the case, and discuss the irony of Microsoft siding with the DOJ two decades after fighting its own antitrust battle against the agency. Read additional excerpts in this GeekWire Post: What Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in court about Google, Apple, search, and the future of AI Plus, Generative AI and the "Ghost of Lesser Seattle." We revisit our attempt to channel the late, great Seattle newspaper columnist Emmett Watson with the help of ChatGPT, and assess the reaction. With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Related links and coverage: Testifying in Google trial, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella warns AI could extend search giant’s lead The Verge: Satya Nadella tells a court that Bing is worse than Google — and Apple could fix it Emmett Watson meets ChatGPT: What if the champion of ‘Lesser Seattle’ could see us now? Marketplace: There’s a corner of the internet where YouTubers read strangers’ obituaries. Why? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, September 30, 2023
Unpacking the FTC's case vs. Amazon
On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we dive deep into the landmark lawsuit filed by the FTC against Amazon with insights from former Amazon seller Jason Boyce , co-author of "The Amazon Jungle," host of the Day 2 podcast, and CEO of Avenue7Media , an agency that works with online sellers. We discuss the implications of the lawsuit for Amazon, consumers, and sellers in the context of the changing dynamics of the online retail. Boyce, with his 17 years of experience as a seller and his current role working with third-party sellers, offers a unique perspective on Amazon's practices and the broader e-commerce landscape. We also touch upon Amazon's evolving relationship with sellers, the challenges of omni-channel retail, and the rise of new online marketplace competitors. GeekWire coverage FTC and 17 states sue Amazon for maintaining alleged monopoly power that stifles competition FTC targets alleged secret Amazon pricing algorithm ‘Project Nessie’ in antitrust complaint FTC’s case against Amazon hinges on internal messages and secrets yet to be revealed Lawsuit: FTC et al vs. Amazon, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington New York Times: For Amazon’s Andy Jassy, a Cleanup Job Just Got a Lot Bigger Reuters: Amazon drops planned merchant fee as FTC lawsuit looms CNBC : FTC Chair Lina Khan: Amazon lawsuit is about protecting free and fair competition See <a hr
Thu, September 28, 2023
Lumen CEO Kate Johnson: Seattle tech, AI, Microsoft, and 'cloudifying' telecom
Kate Johnson is based in Denver in her role as Lumen Technologies CEO and president, but she has been spending a lot of time in the Seattle area recently, and not just because one of the local stadiums bears the company's name. Johnson sees the Seattle region an ideal test bed and proving ground for Lumen's offerings, including consumer and business broadband, voice, and data services. Yes, it helps that she has a home here, as a holdover from her prior role as Microsoft's U.S. president. But beyond that, she cites the region's importance as a major U.S. tech hub, the home of the biggest cloud platforms, a strong community of tech companies, and tech-savvy families who understand the appeal of fiber internet service. "The market is growing, and we are well-positioned to serve it," she said. "I've been spending time making sure we're making the appropriate investments, that I'm understanding our opportunities, and that we're capitalizing on them." It's part of a broader effort by Johnson and her team to reinvent the publicly traded telecommunications company, which was formed by the combination of Level 3 Communications and CenturyLink in 2017 and rebranded as Lumen in 2020 . Johnson was named Lumen CEO a year ago and took over the role in November 2022. Educated as an engineer, with past experience at companies including Oracle, Red Hat, and Deloitte, Johnson is one of 53 female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. She is charged with sparking new growth at a company that reported a net loss of $1.5 billion last year , after special charges, on revenue of $17.5 billion, down 11% year-over-year. In a recent podcast interview at Seattle's Lumen Field, she discussed topics including: The evolution of the telecommunications industry and the need to reinvent the classic telecom business model amid the rapid increase in data and the rise of generative artificial intelligence. Her ongoing efforts to change Lumen's culture, including an unusual series of internal meetings that have been ultimately constructive but initially unsettling for some longtime employees and executives. Her tenure at Microsoft, and her recent experiences using Microsoft 365 Copilot as part of her work. Lumen has been one of the companies piloting Microsoft's corporate AI tools prior to their broader release in November. Audio editing by Curt Milton. Hosted by Todd Bishop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, September 23, 2023
Longtime Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley is our Copilot on this episode
It was a big week for Microsoft, with the unveiling of the company's latest Windows and AI features and new Surface devices at a special event in New York City on Thursday. This was preceded, by only a few days, by the surprise resignation of Panos Panay , the chief product officer in charge of the company's Windows and Devices division. Shortly after that announcement, Bloomberg News reported that Panay was set to join Amazon as the new leader of its Devices & Services division, a surprise twist that has yet to be confirmed as of publication time. To help sort it all out, we're excited to be joined on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast by someone who has covered the company for many years, journalist Mary Jo Foley , editor in chief at DirectionsOnMicrosoft.com . Related Stories Directions on Microsoft Blog : Microsoft to start selling Microsoft 365 Copilot on November 1 GeekWire: ‘It’s kind of like the ’90s are back’: Microsoft previews unified AI ‘Copilot’ initiative Longtime Microsoft hardware leader Panos Panay is leaving the company after 19 years Report: Departing Microsoft exec Panos Panay set to lead Amazon’s Alexa and Echo business Should Amazon be ‘pumped’ to land Panos Panay? A closer look at longtime Microsoft devices leader See <a href="https://omnystudio.com
Sat, September 16, 2023
Human creativity and AI: Catching up with Chris Pirillo
Chris Pirillo is an entrepreneur, creator, event organizer, and online community leader who has been a guide to the world of tech for everyday users since the early days of the web. On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we catch up with Chris about his latest project, CreatorTech.net , an email newsletter and monthly meetup focused on the intersection of creativity and artificial intelligence. The next CreatorTech meetup is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 25 , at the Microsoft Reactor in Redmond. We also discuss some of the latest AI and tech tools that Chris has been finding useful, and hear his take on corporate return-to-office mandates — spoiler alert, he's not a fan! Chris Pirillo on the new iPhone 15 , and the edited take discussed on the show. The latest CreatorTech email with a list of 25 AI tools to check out. Our last GeekWire Podcast/Radio conversation with Chris in June 2013. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thu, September 14, 2023
Is Elon Musk calculated or crazed? Walter Isaacson on his new book
Our guest on this special episode is journalist and biographer Walter Isaacson, whose new book about Elon Musk, the SpaceX and Tesla founder and X (Twitter) owner, was published this week . Isaacson addresses the question of whether Musk is "calculated or crazed," as one anecdote in the book puts it; discusses Musk's role in some of the world's most vital infrastructure, including SpaceX's Starlink satellites; compares Musk's approach and style to Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Jeff Bezos; addresses Musk's outlook on artificial intelligence and space travel; and outlines the key issues that could determine Musk's legacy. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited and produced by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, September 09, 2023
Amazon's robots and its larger vision for work
Tye Brady, chief technologist for Amazon Robotics, joins us on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast to talk about the company's latest warehouse robots, explaining how they represent the emergence of the larger vision that prompted him to join Amazon more than eight years ago. Our conversation at Amazon HQ in Seattle followed a trip by GeekWire's Todd Bishop to Austin and San Marcos, Texas, to see many of Amazon's newest autonomous robots first-hand. Related coverage: New robots are making Amazon’s warehouses more efficient — can they also make them safer? Video: Amazon's Robots, explained Amazon’s Sparrow is leaving the nest: Trailblazing warehouse robot is ready for a wider rollout Video: Up close with Amazon's Sparrow Robot See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, September 02, 2023
Amazon is done debating return to office; Robot umps update; GeekWire Summit sneak peek
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy made it clear in a recent internal meeting that he wants employees to "disagree and commit" to the company's policy of working three days in the office, and find somewhere else to work if it doesn't work for them. We discuss the news in our first segment this week, and ponder why Amazon seems to be getting a bigger backlash than other big companies implementing similar policies. In our second segment, we consider new changes in the MLB automated ball/strike system for Triple-A games, as an update to Seattle Mariners CEO John Stanton's comments in a recent interview with our GeekWire colleague Taylor Soper. And finally, we give a sneak preview of the upcoming GeekWire Summit , scheduled for Oct. 19 at the iconic Seattle movie theater formerly known as the Cinerama. With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop. Edited and produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, August 26, 2023
Shift AI Podcast: Seattle's place at the center of the AI universe, with Madrona's Matt McIlwain
On this week’s GeekWire Podcast, we're featuring an episode of Shift AI , a podcast hosted by Boaz Ashkenazy , CEO of AI solutions provider Simply Augmented , with guest Matt McIlwain of Seattle-based venture capital firm Madrona Venture Group . A thriving tech hub requires access to ideas, people, and experiments that produce collective lessons sooner and with greater fidelity than anywhere else. This is what made the Seattle area the cloud capital of the world. It also positions the region as one of the world’s top centers of excellence for artificial intelligence. That’s one of the insights from Matt McIlwain, managing director at Madrona Venture Group, on this episode of Shift AI, a show that explores what it takes to thrive and adapt to the changing workplace in the digital age of remote work and AI. We discuss Matt’s background and experience building companies and advising founders, and get his take on the future of AI. Subscribe to ShiftAI and hear more episodes at ShiftAIPodcast.com . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, August 19, 2023
Building an 'AI chief of staff,' with Xembly CEO Pete Christothoulou
How can startups differentiate themselves in the new era of AI? We've been discussing that question a lot recently on the GeekWire Podcast, and on this episode, we'll get a first-hand look from business and technology veteran Pete Christothoulou, who has been immersed in this world for many years. Christothoulou is the former CEO of Marchex, the call and conversational analytics company, who is now founder and CEO of Xembly , a Seattle-based startup developing AI-powered technology that replicates a chief of staff and executive assistant, automating tasks such as meeting notes, scheduling, and action items. Xembly was founded in Madrona Venture Labs nearly three years ago, long before the current mania over large language models. The company has raised $20 million from major venture capital firms and angel investors. It employs about 45 people, with customers including Salesforce, Qualtrics, and Twilio, among others. We talk about the rapid developments in AI over the past year, and take a close look at Xembly as a case study for insights into how startups can differentiate themselves in this new era of AI. In the final segment, we consider the big-picture implications of AI in the current deluge of information and the quest for meaningful productivity. Related links and resources An executive assistant for every worker: Startup’s AI takes meeting notes, follows up on email, and more Seattle startup Xembly raises $15M for AI ‘chief of staff’ that automates tedious conversational tasks Microsoft’s optimistic view of AI sees technology ending the drudgery of ‘digital debt’ What Happened to All of Science’s Big Breakthroughs? (New York Times) Papers and patents are becoming less disruptive over time (Nature) A Decline in Scientific Innovation? (Science) See omnystud
Sat, August 12, 2023
Mariners CEO and wireless pioneer John Stanton on the future of baseball
How can baseball embrace technology and new traditions while honoring its legacy and listening to its fans? Those were the questions at the heart of the Seattle Mariners CEO's conversation this week with Taylor Soper, at the GeekWire Rooftop BBQ and Mariners Day at the First Mode headquarters in Seattle. Stanton brings his experience as a longtime business and tech leader to his role with the Mariners. He also chairs Major League Baseball's competition committee, the group leading some of the biggest changes in the history of the sport, including the pitch clock that has dramatically shortened game times this year. He spoke with Taylor in the midst of a Mariners' winning streak that has since been extended to eight games with a 9-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. An early McCaw Cellular executive and founding partner at Bellevue, Wash.-based venture firm Trilogy Equity Partners, Stanton was CEO of Western Wireless and VoiceStream, the predecessor to T-Mobile USA, and also served as chairman of broadcast communications provider Clearwire. Listen for highlights from Stanton's remarks in the second segment, and read an extended writeup with more of his comments on GeekWire. In the first segment, GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop revisit a recent conversation with Brinc CEO Blake Resnick based on John's sighting of the company's technology during an armed standoff in his neighborhood this week. In the final segment, John and Todd offer their thoughts on Stanton's remarks, Todd rants about an annoying tradition carried on by Seattle Mariners fans in the stands during a pivotal moment in a game this week, and they discuss Todd's idea to use technology to help fans keep more engaged with the action on the field. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, August 05, 2023
Amazon's AI strategy, how AI startups can stand out, and hope for AI and humanity
This week on the GeekWire Podcast , we look at how Amazon is positioning itself in the emerging era of generative artificial intelligence. We play and assess clips of Amazon CEO Andy Jassy explaining the company's AI strategy on its earnings call this week. We also discuss the history of AI usage by startups, and consider advice from investors and startup leaders at Seattle Tech Week for emerging tech companies looking to stand out with their own AI applications and solutions. And finally, we reconsider our approach to interacting with machines and contemplate the possibility of artificial intelligence reflecting not just the worst but the best of humanity. Related links and headlines Amazon’s online store sales dip below 40% of net sales for first time, and other earnings notes Leaked email shows Amazon formed a new group to work on the 'most ambitious' AI models How Seattle startups are ‘supercharging’ internal operations with AI Why Using a Polite Tone with AI Matters See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sat, July 29, 2023
Drones and the future of public safety, with Brinc CEO Blake Resnick
Blake Resnick built a fusion reactor in his garage at age 14, and interned at McLaren Automotive, Tesla, and DJI, before dropping out of Northwestern University in 2017 to launch drone startup Brinc . Now, at age 23, he oversees a team of nearly 100 people making drones and other technology for public safety agencies, serving more than 400 customers. On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, recorded on-location at the company's headquarters in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood, Resnick talks about Brinc’s origins, its move from Las Vegas to Seattle, the upcoming release of its Lemur 2 drone, his recent White House visit, and the geopolitical forces impacting its products. He also explains the mind-blowing series of events that led OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to become the company’s first investor. Listen to the end for that. Related stories and links Video of the Lemur 2 Video of the Brinc Ball Drone startup Brinc prepares for take off with ex-Amazon engineers and geopolitical tailwinds Meet Blake Resnick, the 22-year-old engineer who just moved his fast-growing drone startup to Seattle See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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