Amazon’s New Frontiers: Robotaxis, Ultrafast Deliveries, and AI Teammates

Amazon is experimenting again. This week, we dig into our scoop on Amazon Now, the company's new ultrafast delivery service. Plus, we recap the GeekWire team's ride in a Zoox robotaxi on the Las Vegas Strip during AWS re:Invent. And in our featured interview, from the show floor, AWS Senior Vice President Colleen Aubrey discusses Amazon's push into applied AI, why the company sees AI agents as "teammates," and how her team is rethinking product development in the age of agentic coding. RELATED STORIES Stars on the ceiling, Cher on the speakers: Notes from our first ride in Amazon’s Zoox robotaxi Groceries in a flash: We tested ‘Amazon Now’ in Seattle — and got our delivery in 23 minutes AWS CEO Matt Garman thought Amazon needed a million developers, until AI changed his mind With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the real value in AI tools — and what separates those who use them well from those who don't? Sam Ransbotham, professor of business analytics at Boston College and host of the "Me, Myself and AI" podcast from MIT Sloan Management Review, compares notes with GeekWire Podcast host Todd Bishop in a two-part collaboration between the shows. On this episode, they discuss the new digital divide emerging in the classroom, AI's measurement problem (and what Wikipedia teaches us about it), the "race to mediocre," how AI is democratizing startup creation, and the tension between AI productivity, time, and the moments that make us human. Find the rest of their conversation in the Me, Myself and AI podcast feed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week: Jeff Bezos is back in startup mode (sort of) with Project Prometheus — a $6.2 billion AI-for-the-physical-world venture that instantly became one of the most talked-about new companies in tech. We dig into what his return to the CEO title really means, why the company’s location is still a mystery, and how this echoes the era when Bezos was regularly launching big bets from Seattle. Then we look at Amazon’s latest real-world experiment: package-return kiosks popping up inside Goodwill stores around the Seattle region. It’s a small pilot, but it brings back memories of the early days when Amazon’s oddball experiments seemed to appear out of nowhere. And finally…Todd makes the case for upgrading his 2007 Toyota Camry with CarPlay, Android Auto, and a backup camera — while John questions the logic of sinking thousands into a beloved older car. All that, plus a mystery Microsoft shirt, a little Seattle nostalgia, and a look ahead to next week’s podcast collaboration with Me, Myself and AI from MIT Sloan Management Review. With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd BishopSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week: A glimpse of the AI frontier in workplace productivity through the eyes of David Shim — serial entrepreneur, Read AI co-founder and CEO, former Foursquare leader, and this year’s GeekWire Awards CEO of the Year. Shim spoke with GeekWire co-founder John Cook at a recent dinner event hosted in partnership with Accenture, in conjunction with our new Agents of Transformation editorial series, exploring AI, productivity, and the future of work. They discuss the rapid rise of workplace AI, why Shim believes today’s boom is fueled by real revenue rather than dot-com-style subsidies, and where he sees both hype and genuine value emerging. Shim offers insights on AI assistants, cross-team “multiplayer AI,” global adoption, and the controversial idea of “digital twins” built from employees’ work data. Recorded by Jessica Reeves; edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seattle’s consumer-hardware ambitions are once again colliding with economic reality. The struggles of Glowforge and Rad Power Bikes echo a long regional history of big raises, high hopes, and hard landings — shaped by the pandemic, VC, and the unforgiving nature of building real products.  GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook recorded this conversation for the purpose of providing the audio to an AI tool that turned the conversation into a written column that was edited and reviewed before publication. Check it out here. Related Stories:  Glowforge hits restart: After restructuring, co-founders acquire key assets of laser engraver startup Rad Power Bikes faces possible shutdown as it tries to survive ‘significant financial challenges’ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s it like to pitch your dream on Shark Tank, get rejected on national TV in front of eight million people — and then turn that failure into a company Amazon later buys for more than a billion dollars. Ring founder Jamie Siminoff did just that. A serial inventor and entrepreneur, Siminoff joins us to talk about his new book, Ding Dong: How Ring Went from Shark Tank Reject to Everyone’s Front Door (out Nov. 10), sharing the messy, high-stakes, and ultimately inspiring story behind the company. Now back at Amazon as a vice president leading Ring and the company’s home-security businesses, Siminoff reflects on failure, reinvention, and what comes next in the age of AI. Related links and stories Pre-order the book on Amazon. GeekWire: Ring founder Jamie Siminoff rejoins Amazon in new VP role Business Insider: Amazon VP says his division is hiring and promoting based on employees’ AI usage Inc.: The tech founder who wants to fix small-town America With GeekWire co-founder Todd BishopSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is Amazon laying off 14,000 people during a massive AI boom? Todd and John analyze the Seattle tech paradox, digging into Andy Jassy's 'startup' reasoning and debating whether the AI frenzy is a bubble. Then, they take on the Cascadia high-speed rail: a necessary connector or a misguided project? Related headlines from the week Amazon layoffs Amazon confirms 14,000 job cuts, says push for ‘efficiency gains’ will continue into 2026 A tale of two Seattles in the age of AI: Harsh realities and new hope for the tech community Filing: Amazon cuts more than 2,300 jobs in Washington state as part of broader layoffs Amazon layoffs hit software engineers hardest in Washington Amazon layoffs reaction: ‘Thought I was a top performer but guess I’m expendable’ Amazon CEO says massive corporate layoffs were about agility — not AI or cost-cutting Amazon earnings Amazon stock soars 11% after topping Q3 estimates with $180B in revenue, $21B in profits Amazon’s Anthropic investment boosts its quarterly profits by $9.5B ‘Big Beautiful’ tax benefit: Amazon and other tech giants reap the rewards of new law, for now Microsoft Azure, earnings and OpenAI Microsoft’s Azure reports cloud outage, disrupting global customers including Alaska Airlines Microsoft beats expectations, reports nearly $35B in Q1 capital spending amid Azure outage Microsoft gets 27% stake in OpenAI, and a $250B Azure commitment Seattle-Portland-Vancouver Slowly but surely, high-speed rail backers believe Cascadia mega-project will become a reality Cascadia’s AI paradox: A world-leading opportunity threatened by rising costs and a talent crunch The ‘enormous barrier’ that threatens economic growth in the Pacific Northwest Beta’s unique electric airplane flies into Seattle to wow state officials and aviation experts With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd BishopSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From empty offices in 2020 to AI colleagues in 2025, the way we work has been completely rewired over the past five years. Our guest this week studies these shifts closely along with her colleagues at Microsoft. Colette Stallbaumer is the co-founder of Microsoft WorkLab, general manager of Microsoft 365 Copilot, and the author of the new book, WorkLab: Five years that shook the business world, and sparked an AI-first future, from Microsoft’s 8080 Books. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited by Curt Milton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Veteran technology journalist Ed Bott has "seen things," after more than 30 years of covering Microsoft and the PC industry, and he recognizes a pattern in the company's latest AI features for Windows. It's part of a high-stakes effort to avoid missing the next big platform shift — attempting to avoid what happened to the company in the mobile revolution. Ed joins the GeekWire Podcast to analyze this big bet, digging into the new "Hey Copilot" voice commands, the promise and security risks of "Copilot Actions" that can work on your local files, and Microsoft's strategic shift to bring AI features to all Windows 11 PCs, not just the premium Copilot+ PC models. Plus, we discuss whether users will ever really want to talk to their computers and the timing of it all, right as Windows 10 support comes to an end. Ed Bott on ZDNet:  Microsoft debuts its next big high-stakes feature in Windows — can you trust it?  Windows 10 PC can't be upgraded? You have 5 options - and must act now Microsoft announcement: Making every Windows 11 PC an AI PC GeekWire coverage: Microsoft’s new AI features aim to give Windows a voice and mind of its own A new era for Windows: Can Microsoft’s longtime engine power another tech revolution? Thanks to Buzz Bruggeman of ActiveWords for suggesting this episode. With GeekWire co-founder Todd BishopSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Pirillo, the longtime tech enthusiast and entrepreneur, joins the show this week to discuss how AI software development tools are opening up new possibilities for everyday users, as illustrated by his own experience going from commentator to creator, building nearly 100 apps and games. He’s launching a free, in-person event series called CTRL+ALT+CREATE Live, where anyone can build something real using AI and no-code tools. The first event takes place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m on Thursday, Oct. 16 at the Amazon AWS Skills Center in Seattle. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.