Bot or Not - GeekWire

Is AI overhyped or underhyped? Here’s what techies in Seattle think

by Taylor Soper on October 11, 2023October 11, 2023 at 10:53 am

Depending on who you ask, artificial intelligence is getting too much attention — or not enough. That was one takeaway from my conversations last night at the opening reception for the… Read More

Speed read: This new AI-powered tool helps researchers skim through scientific papers

by Kurt Schlosser on October 10, 2023October 10, 2023 at 3:54 pm

Don’t worry, this article will be short enough to not create a time-consuming task for readers looking to absorb its key points. Researchers don’t always have that luxury when they’re… Read More

Emmett Watson meets ChatGPT: What if the champion of ‘Lesser Seattle’ could see us now?

by Todd Bishop on October 5, 2023October 5, 2023 at 6:28 am

The late, great Seattle newspaper columnist Emmett Watson died more than 20 years ago. A lot has happened since then in his beloved burg. What would he say about Seattle… Read More

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Get an AI reality check on ‘The Creator’ — Hollywood’s latest robo-doomsday movie

by Alan Boyle on September 29, 2023September 29, 2023 at 9:23 am

Over the next 50 years, will humanity become too attached to the artificial-intelligence agents that dictate the course of our lives? Or is forming a deep attachment the only way… Read More

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Agility Robotics will mass-produce humanoid warehouse robots in new Oregon factory

by Todd Bishop on September 18, 2023September 18, 2023 at 10:22 am

Agility Robotics, which makes humanoid warehouse robots with backing from Amazon and others, announced a Salem, Ore., manufacturing facility that it says will ultimately be able to produce more than… Read More

Transformational or overhyped? How these geeks at Seattle’s giant ‘Founders Bash’ think about AI

by Nate Bek on September 15, 2023September 15, 2023 at 12:59 pm

If you were looking for proof that Seattle is an AI hub, you would have found ample evidence on Thursday night at Block 41 in downtown. More than 1,000 entrepreneurs,… Read More

Amazon distinguishes between AI ‘generated’ and ‘assisted’ content in new policy for Kindle authors

by Todd Bishop on September 11, 2023September 11, 2023 at 10:29 am

Amazon added a new artificial intelligence policy to its content guidelines for authors who distribute their work through its Kindle Direct Publishing platform, reacting to a wave of new books… Read More

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New robots are making Amazon’s warehouses more efficient — can they also make them safer?

by Todd Bishop on September 7, 2023September 7, 2023 at 3:33 pm

AUSTIN, Texas — It’s lunchtime at Amazon’s AUS2, a six-story warehouse set between housing subdivisions and a state highway on the edge of vast farmland just outside this city’s famous… Read More

Reading, writing, and ChatGPT: High school English teachers adjust to the new realities of AI

by Todd Bishop on August 30, 2023August 30, 2023 at 5:31 pm

ORLAND, Calif. — As a new school year begins, teachers across the country are grappling with the rise of generative artificial intelligence, recognizing the potential of ChatGPT and other AI… Read More

Celebrity clone startup led by veteran entrepreneurs uses AI for 1-on-1 ‘human-like conversations’

by Nate Bek on August 29, 2023August 28, 2023 at 10:08 pm

Alex Lieberman, co-founder of newsletter startup MorningBrew, gets a lot of inquiries from entrepreneurs looking for advice. But he can’t answer all of them. A new celebrity cloning startup wants… Read More

‘Robotics is the future of food’: Artisan pizza restaurant Moto makes automation a key ingredient

by Kurt Schlosser on August 25, 2023August 25, 2023 at 8:27 am

When Lee Kindell first started making his Filipino-inspired brand of what he calls “odd pizza,” he was the artisan guy — a purist who made his dough by hand in… Read More

Researchers want to put energy hogs like ChatGPT on a diet with more efficient computer chips

by Lisa Stiffler on August 24, 2023August 24, 2023 at 7:23 am

ChatGPT and other generative AI technologies are wowing — and sometimes alarming — users with their human-like abilities to carry on conversations and perform tasks. But they’re also sparking concern… Read More

Ex-Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff joins former colleagues to launch personal assistant AI startup

by Taylor Soper on August 17, 2023August 17, 2023 at 8:32 am

Spencer Rascoff, Anna Rodriguez, and Tony Small spent years figuring out how to help small businesses convert leads into transactions when they worked together at Zillow Group. Now they’re teaming… Read More

Olis Connect device monitors operation of metal-bending robot

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Olis Robotics raises $4M to take systems for remote robot management to next level

by Alan Boyle on August 11, 2023August 11, 2023 at 8:39 am

Seattle-based Olis Robotics has raised $4.1 million to explore new markets for tools that make it possible to monitor and control industrial robots remotely and securely. The funding round was… Read More

AI on the farm: Ag-tech startups help zap weeds, fertilize crops — but still face challenges with data

by Nate Bek on August 11, 2023August 14, 2023 at 10:54 am

Engineers are bringing their talents in artificial intelligence and machine learning to the farm. The Pacific Northwest is home to a number of up-and-coming startups using AI to zap weeds,… Read More

Seattle Mariners owner John Stanton on MLB rule changes, robot umpires, and Shohei Ohtani

by Taylor Soper on August 10, 2023August 10, 2023 at 10:49 am

John Stanton, the Seattle Mariners CEO and a key figure in the new era of MLB rules, sees a future for automated balls and strikes in the big leagues. He’d… Read More

Wildfire startup puts AI-powered eyes in the forest to watch for new blazes and provide rapid alerts

by Lisa Stiffler on August 9, 2023August 14, 2023 at 4:17 pm

You don’t put out a wildfire with water and flame retardants like you do a burning house. You contain it and wait for it to burn itself out. So spotting… Read More

Survey reveals divisions among Americans when it comes to AI use and trust

by Kurt Schlosser on August 8, 2023August 8, 2023 at 9:59 am

As artificial intelligence and generative AI continue to dominate the focus of tech companies, American consumer sentiment about AI is mostly split, according to a new survey by Seattle venture… Read More

Allen Institute for AI takes new approach to managing AI risks and promoting transparency

by Richard Yonck on August 7, 2023August 7, 2023 at 8:09 am

Artificial intelligence is becoming more deeply embedded in our world, enabling all sorts of new possibilities — but also raising new risks and dangers as well. Data privacy, embedded biases,… Read More

How Zillow Group is thinking about AI and the future of real estate

by Taylor Soper on August 7, 2023August 7, 2023 at 9:02 am

More and more companies are using AI and machine learning to boost their businesses. Zillow Group is no exception. “We want to make it easy for people to find homes… Read More

Wizards of the Coast updating artist guidelines after AI art found in ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ book

by Thomas Wilde on August 5, 2023August 5, 2023 at 7:47 pm

Wizards of the Coast will update its artist guidelines to prohibit the use of illustrations that were made with generative AI tools, after fans spotted telltale signs of AI art… Read More

How Seattle startups are ‘supercharging’ internal operations with AI

by Nate Bek on August 3, 2023August 3, 2023 at 11:09 am

Generative AI is taking over startup pitches. “Nine out of the 10 meetings that I’m taking right now has something to do with generative AI,” said Yuval Neeman, managing director… Read More

Bill Gates-backed startup aims to fight wildfires, drawing on expertise of ex-Amazon drone leader and aviation execs

by Lisa Stiffler on August 3, 2023August 4, 2023 at 4:07 pm

Data Blanket is a new startup out of the Seattle area developing small fleets of AI-powered drones that can perform self-guided missions to assess wildfires and automatically share that information… Read More

Seattle startup founders are using generative AI for coding, marketing, and more

by Taylor Soper on August 1, 2023August 1, 2023 at 11:45 am

Publicly traded tech companies can’t stop talking about AI. But what about smaller startups? I stopped by the opening party for Seattle Tech Week on Monday in South Lake Union… Read More

Generative AI rush sparks new questions, concerns about music and intellectual property laws

by Nate Bek on July 29, 2023July 30, 2023 at 2:33 pm

When the popular file-sharing platform Napster received a court order to shut down in 2000, lawyers representing the recording industry successfully made the argument that the startup infringed on their… Read More

Blurred lines between art and tech: AI’s impact on creativity elicits excitement — and some fear

by Kurt Schlosser on July 28, 2023July 28, 2023 at 10:29 am

In a building that used to be a grocery store in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood this week, the future of art and technology converged in a display and discussion around… Read More

AI’s impact on art and creators: Ethical and legal concerns over ownership, misinformation, and more

by Kurt Schlosser on July 21, 2023July 21, 2023 at 4:54 pm

The ethical and legal implications surrounding the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and generative AI tools such as ChatGPT are sure to impact companies, consumers and courtrooms in the coming… Read More

Is baseball ready for robot umpires? We fielded an informal survey at the MLB All-Star Game in Seattle

by Kurt Schlosser on July 12, 2023July 12, 2023 at 10:11 am

Tuesday night’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Seattle attracted a sea of fans rooting for a variety of players and teams. In a tech city, it felt appropriate to… Read More

‘We’ve done it before’: Bill Gates offers historical view on managing AI’s biggest threats

by Todd Bishop on July 11, 2023July 11, 2023 at 10:48 am

Humans need to understand the risks of artificial intelligence, appreciate the potential rewards, and work with the technology rather than avoid it. It’s the new reality, and the only question… Read More

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How AI is changing the way scientists engineer drugs, biosensors, enzymes and more

by Charlotte Schubert on July 10, 2023July 12, 2023 at 7:06 am

We’re inside the headquarters of Outpace Bio in Seattle. Senior scientist Bobby Langan shows a video of one of his favorite deep-learning tools, used to create experimental cancer therapeutics. A… Read More