Amazon, AI, and the cloud: A reality check, with Corey Quinn of 'Last Week in AWS'

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.

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 BishopSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.