GeekWire
393 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 112 ratingsGeekWire 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.
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Episodes
ADHD and the tech industry: Understanding the different 'operating systems for the brain'
June 29, 2024 14:46 - 48 minutes - 44.5 MBThis 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 Leverag...
AI, VC, and the next big opportunity in tech, with 'Startup Project' host Nataraj Sindam
June 22, 2024 14:35 - 39 minutes - 36.3 MBAs 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 ge...
Cybersecurity in the age of AI, with Steve Schmidt, Amazon's chief security officer
June 15, 2024 14:27 - 33 minutes - 30.8 MBIt 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 conversatio...
How this professor teaches AI and thinks about human creativity
June 08, 2024 14:30 - 41 minutes - 37.8 MBOur 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 hea...
AI, the brain, and the crowd, with CMU prof Niki Kittur
June 01, 2024 14:37 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MBThis 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 tha...
Microsoft Copilot+ PCs: Has the AI computer revolution finally arrived?
May 25, 2024 15:31 - 37 minutes - 34.3 MBMicrosoft 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 g...
Microsoft Copilot+ PCs: Has the AI computer revolution arrived?
May 25, 2024 15:31 - 37 minutes - 34.3 MBMicrosoft 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 gr...
The rise of 'Technocapitalism' and its impact on humanity, with economist Loretta Napoleoni
May 18, 2024 14:28 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBThis 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 ...
Inside the GeekWire Awards: What's next for AI, the economy, and startups
May 11, 2024 15:52 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBThis 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 Awar...
Amazon vs. Trader Joe's; Bill Gates still a force at Microsoft; Inside the Binance founder's sentencing
May 04, 2024 14:29 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBThis 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 feature, a newly disclosed email shows how Microsoft scrambled to catch up in artificial intelligence, and ...
'The Everything War': Inside Amazon with author and Wall Street Journal reporter Dana Mattioli
April 27, 2024 13:35 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MBA 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.
Who will be the Next Tech Titan? Previewing the GeekWire Awards
April 20, 2024 13:55 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBThis 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 migratio...
Amazon CTO Werner Vogels on AI, healthcare, and sustainability
April 13, 2024 13:55 - 42 minutes - 39 MBThis 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 A...
AI for Good, with Microsoft's Juan Lavista Ferres
April 06, 2024 14:23 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBThis 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 He...
Inside a Tesla Cybertruck; how police dogs find devices; Ballmer's comedian son
March 30, 2024 14:58 - 22 minutes - 20.3 MBThis 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...
Microsoft's big AI hires, U.S. vs. Apple, and graffiti-fighting drones
March 23, 2024 14:23 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBThis 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...
Inside the plan to save Zulily, with the star of CNBC's 'The Profit'
March 16, 2024 13:00 - 24 minutes - 22.5 MBThis 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.
AI's transparency problem: Tech leaders advocate for new insights into training data
March 09, 2024 14:00 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MBArtificial 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 ...
AI's trust problem: Richard Edelman on the risk to the tech industry
March 06, 2024 15:09 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBA 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 fi...
How Microsoft, Amazon, and T-Mobile use big bets to build durable businesses
March 02, 2024 14:59 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MBThis 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; Aud...
BONUS: Seattle after Techstars, with guest Chris DeVore
February 28, 2024 14:05 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBEntrepreneur 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 ...
Techstars Seattle's demise leaves a gap in startup market
February 24, 2024 15:17 - 21 minutes - 19.5 MBTechstars 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 th...
OpenAI's Sora, a new Amazon book, and 5 days a week in the office
February 17, 2024 16:17 - 35 minutes - 32.7 MBThis 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...
Bezos' big stock sale, Nadella's first 10 years, and will AI read your next book?
February 10, 2024 15:05 - 31 minutes - 28.5 MBThis 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 ...
Apple Vision Pro, a developer's take; Defusing AI deepfakes
February 03, 2024 15:44 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MBFirst 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 ...
Experiments in AI, with Kevin Leneway of Pioneer Square Labs
January 27, 2024 16:37 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MBOur 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 Geek...
Costco vs. Amazon, Microsoft's latest Copilot, and a Zulily conspiracy theory
January 20, 2024 15:41 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MBThis 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 ...
Amazon Ring CEO Liz Hamren on AI and the future of home monitoring
January 13, 2024 16:18 - 24 minutes - 22.2 MBLiz 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 s...
Can AI level the playing field? Nancy Wang of Advancing Women in Tech
January 06, 2024 14:40 - 39 minutes - 36.4 MBThis 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 ...
NY Times vs. Microsoft; Plus, Oren Etzioni on AI in 2023 and beyond
December 30, 2023 15:04 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBOur 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 ...
Surviving Amazon: Work, life, and bias inside one of the world's most ambitious businesses
December 16, 2023 14:44 - 36 minutes - 33.1 MBOur 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...
How to be an 'Uncommon Thinker'
December 09, 2023 17:04 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBGeekWire'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 ...
'Amazon Q' and the new era of AI for business
December 02, 2023 16:04 - 26 minutes - 24 MBAI 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 ...
What's next for Microsoft and OpenAI; Amazon car sales; disappearing unicorns
November 25, 2023 16:18 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MBThis 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 re...
The shakeup at OpenAI, and what it means for Microsoft
November 18, 2023 18:00 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MBThe 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...
AI pioneer Fei-Fei Li on the future of humanity
November 11, 2023 15:28 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBFei-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, Exp...
Jeff Bezos' big move, Convoy's final stop, AI meets VC
November 04, 2023 14:51 - 24 minutes - 22.7 MBWhat 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 ...
Inside the AI Revolution: Tech execs on the new realities for software, startups, and the future
October 28, 2023 14:37 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MBThis 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 w...
What the heck happened at Convoy?
October 21, 2023 12:51 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MBThis 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 ...
Robots, AI, and the future of labor: 'Way bigger than the steam engine'
October 14, 2023 14:13 - 37 minutes - 34.8 MBOur 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. San...
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella vs. Google
October 07, 2023 14:36 - 25 minutes - 22.9 MBMicrosoft 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 fig...
Unpacking the FTC's case vs. Amazon
September 30, 2023 14:57 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBOn 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 cu...
Lumen CEO Kate Johnson: Seattle tech, AI, Microsoft, and 'cloudifying' telecom
September 28, 2023 13:47 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MBKate 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...
Longtime Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley is our Copilot on this episode
September 23, 2023 14:18 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBIt 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...
Human creativity and AI: Catching up with Chris Pirillo
September 16, 2023 13:58 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MBChris 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 Redm...
Is Elon Musk calculated or crazed? Walter Isaacson on his new book
September 14, 2023 14:16 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBOur 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; addre...
Amazon's robots and its larger vision for work
September 09, 2023 14:45 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBTye 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 makin...
Amazon is done debating return to office; Robot umps update; GeekWire Summit sneak peek
September 02, 2023 13:30 - 23 minutes - 21.2 MBAmazon 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...
Shift AI Podcast: Seattle's place at the center of the AI universe, with Madrona's Matt McIlwain
August 26, 2023 13:33 - 35 minutes - 32.7 MBOn 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 ...
Building an 'AI chief of staff,' with Xembly CEO Pete Christothoulou
August 19, 2023 14:44 - 25 minutes - 22.9 MBHow 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 r...