Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt have more in common than a first name: They’re also fanatics about numbers. GeekWire’s Todd Bishop sat down with Dubner and Levitt, founders of the popular Freakonomics podcast and books, at Microsoft’s Data Insights Summit this week. On this episode of the GeekWire podcast, the three talk about everything from healthcare to Amazon to how data is changing the world.

Follow all our coverage, including more about Microsoft's Data Insights Summit, at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

Wealthsimple — GeekWire listeners pay  no management fees for a year when they invest up to $15,000 on Wealthsimple’s automated investing platform. Wealthsimple.com/geekwire

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Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt have more in common than a first name: They’re also fanatics about numbers. GeekWire’s Todd Bishop sat down with Dubner and Levitt, founders of the popular Freakonomics podcast and books, at Microsoft’s Data Insights Summit this week. On this episode of the GeekWire podcast, the three talk about everything from healthcare to Amazon to how data is changing the world. Follow all our coverage, including more about Microsoft's Data Insights Summit, at <a href="http://www.geekwire.com/">GeekWire.com</a> Thank you to this week’s sponsors: <a href="https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-us/">Wealthsimple</a> — GeekWire listeners pay <a href="https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-us/geekwire?utm_source=geekwire&utm_medium=brand&utm_term=splash&utm_content=3_2017&utm_campaign=newsletter"> no management fees for a year</a> when they invest up to $15,000 on Wealthsimple’s automated investing platform. Wealthsimple.com/geekwire <a href="https://www.godaddy.com/">GoDaddy</a> — who is offering GeekWire listeners 35 percent off their purchase of a GoDaddy domain. Just use offer code gearedup35 at checkout, goddaddy.com.

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.

GeekWire reporters John Cook, Todd Bishop and guests talk about the latest tech news and trends.

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Freakonomics founders on how data is changing the world

Brice Budke (President) and Zeek Earl (Executive Creative Director) run two Seattle studios: Shep, a video agency that works with tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft, and Packrat, a creative studio that specializes in miniature worlds, handmade sets, and retro creative projects.

You might know Packrat's work from the epic and widely watched 2025 Seahawks schedule release video, which won a Gold Clio. They also made Prospect, an indie sci-fi film that premiered at SXSW in 2018 with Pedro Pascal and Sophie Thatcher.

GeekWire met them last fall on the set of a stop-motion shoot for Kiro, an AI-powered agentic software development tool from Amazon Web Services. Check out the video they made from that shoot here.

On this episode, Brice and Zeek discuss how AI is transforming their work — from photorealistic storyboarding to stop-motion animation filled in by AI-generated frames — and what still requires human creativity, taste, and intuition. Plus: the psychology of working with "infinite tools," why AI doesn't always save money, and the GeekWire Trivia Challenge.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton.

<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bricebudke/">Brice Budke</a> (President) and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/zeek-earl-46962a33/">Zeek Earl</a> (Executive Creative Director) run two Seattle studios: <a href="https://www.shepfilms.com/">Shep</a>, a video agency that works with tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft, and <a href="https://www.packrat.studio/">Packrat</a>, a creative studio that specializes in miniature worlds, handmade sets, and retro creative projects.
You might know Packrat's work from the epic and widely watched 2025 Seahawks&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifvSa50l1hQ">schedule release video</a>, which won a Gold Clio. They also made <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7946422/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk">Prospect</a>, an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsrbNtUgEaY">indie sci-fi film</a> that premiered at SXSW in 2018 with Pedro Pascal and Sophie Thatcher.
GeekWire&nbsp;<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/amazons-surprise-indie-hit-kiro-launches-broadly-in-bid-to-reshape-ai-powered-software-development/">met them last fall</a> on the set of a stop-motion shoot for <a href="https://kiro.dev/">Kiro</a>, an AI-powered agentic software development tool from Amazon Web Services. Check out the video they made from that shoot&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pH6jRYwRfjI">here</a>.
On this episode, Brice and Zeek discuss how AI is transforming their work &mdash; from photorealistic storyboarding to stop-motion animation filled in by AI-generated frames &mdash; and what still requires human creativity, taste, and intuition. Plus: the psychology of working with "infinite tools," why AI doesn't always save money, and the GeekWire Trivia Challenge.
With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton.

How AI is changing the business and art of video, from 'chaos machine' to creative catalyst

OpenAI just opened its largest office outside San Francisco, in downtown Bellevue, Wash. GeekWire was there on day one to tour the space. Chatting inside the OpenAI game room, we share our observations about the Mad Men-meets-Pacific Northwest aesthetic, which features open floor plans and lots of common areas, and try to figure out what it all says about OpenAI's culture. 

Plus, we talk with Vijaye Raji, the former Statsig CEO who is now OpenAI's CTO of applications, about Codex, infrastructure, hiring, and the evolution and growth of Silicon Valley tech giants in the region. 

In our final segment, it's the return of the GeekWire trivia challenge, with a question focusing on one of the earliest tech giants to establish an outpost in the Seattle area. 

Related Story: Inside OpenAI’s new Bellevue office: A swanky statement about AI’s impact on the Seattle region

Upcoming Event: Agents of Transformation, March 24. 

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

OpenAI <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/inside-openais-new-bellevue-office-a-swanky-statement-about-ais-impact-on-the-seattle-region/">just opened its largest office</a> outside San Francisco, in downtown Bellevue, Wash. GeekWire was there on day one to tour the space. Chatting inside the OpenAI game room, we share our observations about the Mad Men-meets-Pacific Northwest aesthetic, which features open floor plans and lots of common areas, and try to figure out what it all says about OpenAI's culture.&nbsp;
Plus, we talk with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijaye">Vijaye Raji</a>, the former Statsig CEO who is now OpenAI's CTO of applications, about Codex, infrastructure, hiring, and the evolution and growth of Silicon Valley tech giants in the region.&nbsp;
In our final segment, it's the return of the GeekWire trivia challenge, with a question focusing on one of the earliest tech giants to establish an outpost in the Seattle area.&nbsp;
Related Story: <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/inside-openais-new-bellevue-office-a-swanky-statement-about-ais-impact-on-the-seattle-region/">Inside OpenAI&rsquo;s new Bellevue office: A swanky statement about AI&rsquo;s impact on the Seattle region</a>
Upcoming Event:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/events/agents-of-transformation/">Agents of Transformation, March 24</a>.&nbsp;
With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

On location at OpenAI in Bellevue, with CTO of Applications Vijaye Raji

Anthropic acquired Seattle startup Vercept on Wednesday, raising familiar questions about the impact of early exits on the broader Seattle startup ecosystem, and the question of whether AI startups can compete long-term against the giants of the field.

We dig into the deal, the public feud between two of the company's early investors on LinkedIn, and why one co-founder's prior departure to Meta may have been worth more than the entire acquisition.

Plus, a new research paper envisions a 2028 "global intelligence crisis" driven by AI-fueled white collar job losses, and we're already seeing early signs in the news. 

Then, the New York Times reported this week that Jeffrey Epstein built deeper connections inside Microsoft than any other major tech company. We break down the key revelations, including what we found when we searched the Epstein files for "GeekWire."

WSJ: Bill Gates Apologizes to Foundation Staff Over Epstein Ties

And stick around for GeekWire Trivia: With Xbox entering a new era under Asha Sharma, we look back at the celebrity who appeared on stage for the original Xbox unveiling 25 years ago.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

Anthropic <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/anthropic-acquires-vercept-in-early-exit-for-one-of-seattles-standout-ai-startups/">acquired Seattle startup Vercept</a> on Wednesday, raising familiar questions about the impact of early exits on the broader Seattle startup ecosystem, and the question of whether AI startups can compete long-term against the giants of the field.
We dig into the deal, the public feud between two of the company's early investors on LinkedIn, and why one co-founder's prior departure to Meta may have been worth more than the entire acquisition.
Plus, <a href="https://www.citriniresearch.com/p/2028gic">a new research paper</a> envisions a 2028 "global intelligence crisis" driven by AI-fueled white collar job losses, and we're already seeing <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/in-seattle-protest-workers-call-on-uber-and-lyft-to-stop-adding-new-drivers-to-flooded-market/">early signs in the news</a>.&nbsp;
Then, the New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/24/technology/jeffrey-epstein-microsoft-executives.html">reported this week</a> that Jeffrey Epstein built deeper connections inside Microsoft than any other major tech company. We break down <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/bill-gates-addresses-epstein-fallout-at-foundation-as-new-microsoft-revelations-emerge/">the key revelations</a>, including what we found when we searched the Epstein files for "GeekWire."
WSJ: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/bill-gates-apologizes-to-foundation-staff-over-epstein-ties-67f39ef5?st=DZvEc3&amp;amp;reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink">Bill Gates Apologizes to Foundation Staff Over Epstein Ties</a>
And stick around for GeekWire Trivia: With Xbox <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/who-is-asha-sharma-a-closer-look-at-microsofts-surprise-pick-to-lead-the-xbox-business/">entering a new era under Asha Sharma</a>, we look back at the celebrity who appeared on stage for the original Xbox unveiling 25 years ago.
With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

Freakonomics founders on how data is changing the world

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