This week on the GeekWire Podcast: The rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence takes center stage in business technology spending, in Washington D.C., and in the global tech power struggle.

We break down a headline-grabbing U.S. Senate hearing on AI and U.S.–China competitiveness, featuring testimony from Microsoft’s Brad Smith and OpenAI’s Sam Altman. There was also a fun Seattle tech callback in the form of a hot-mic moment from Sen. Maria Cantwell during Sen. Ted Cruz's opening statement.

Plus, we dive into a new global survey from Amazon Web Services showing just how quickly companies are making generative AI their top tech priority — even ahead of cybersecurity.

U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation:Winning the AI Race: Strengthening U.S. Capabilities in Computing and Innovation
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman: ChatGPT will ‘probably not’ replace Google as top search engine
Previously: Microsoft asks Trump to loosen chip export limits
Bloomberg: Trump plans to rescind AI chip export curbs

Amazon Web ServicesGenerative AI Adoption Index
Generative AI tops cybersecurity in 2025 tech budget priorities, new AWS study finds

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook.

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: The rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence takes center stage in business technology spending, in Washington D.C., and in the global tech power struggle.
We break down a headline-grabbing U.S. Senate hearing on AI and U.S.&ndash;China competitiveness, featuring testimony from Microsoft&rsquo;s Brad Smith and OpenAI&rsquo;s Sam Altman. There was also a fun Seattle tech callback in the form of a hot-mic moment from Sen. Maria Cantwell during Sen. Ted Cruz's opening statement.
Plus, we dive into a new global survey from Amazon Web Services showing just how quickly companies are making generative AI their top tech priority &mdash; even ahead of cybersecurity.
U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: <a href="https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2025/5/winning-the-ai-race-strengthening-u-s-capabilities-in-computing-and-innovation_2">Winning the AI Race: Strengthening U.S. Capabilities in Computing and Innovation</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/openai-ceo-sam-altman-says-chatgpt-will-probably-not-replace-google-as-main-search-engine/">OpenAI CEO Sam Altman: ChatGPT will &lsquo;probably not&rsquo; replace Google as top search engine</a></li>
<li>Previously<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/microsoft-asks-trump-to-loosen-chip-export-limits-to-avoid-giving-china-an-ai-advantage/">: Microsoft asks Trump to loosen chip export limits</a></li>
<li>Bloomberg: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com">Trump plans to rescind AI chip export curbs</a></li>
</ul>
Amazon Web Services <a href="https://press.aboutamazon.com/aws/2025/5/generative-ai-adoption-index">Generative AI Adoption Index</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/generative-ai-tops-cybersecurity-in-2025-tech-budget-priorities-new-aws-study-finds/">Generative AI tops cybersecurity in 2025 tech budget priorities, new AWS study finds</a></li>
</ul>
With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook.

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.

GeekWire

AI boom and D.C. hot mics: OpenAI and Microsoft go to Washington, Amazon surveys the field

On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, recorded backstage at the GeekWire Gala at the Showbox Sodo, we sit down with five of the inventors, scientists, and entrepreneurs selected as the Seattle region's 2025 Uncommon Thinkers, in partnership with Greater Seattle Partners.

Jeff Thornburg spent years building rocket engines for Elon Musk at SpaceX and Paul Allen at Stratolaunch. Now, as CEO of Portal Space Systems, he's moved past chemical rockets to revive a concept NASA studied decades ago but never pursued — a spacecraft powered by focused sunlight. He calls it a "steam engine for space." Read the profile.

Anindya Roy grew up in rural India without electricity, came to the U.S. with two suitcases and $2,000, and earned a spot in the lab of a Nobel Prize winner. Now, as co-founder of Lila Biologics, he's using AI to design proteins from scratch (molecules that have never existed in nature) to treat cancer. Read the profile.

Jay Graber runs Bluesky, the decentralized social network that's become a leading alternative to X and other centralized platforms. But while most tech CEOs build moats to lock users in, Jay and the Bluesky team are building a protocol designed to let them leave. She sees the network as a "collective organism," and she's creating a tech foundation meant to outlive her own company. Read the profile. Read the profile.

Kiana Ehsani came to Seattle from Iran for her PhD and spent four years at the Allen Institute for AI before becoming CEO of Vercept. She and the Vercept team are competing directly with OpenAI, Google and others in AI agents, building efficient agents that handle mundane digital tasks on computers so humans can spend less time on screens. Read the profile.

Brian Pinkard spent six months after college flipping rocks and building trails because he wanted to do work that mattered. That instinct led him to Aquagga, where he's proving that the industry standard of filtering and burying "forever chemicals" is obsolete. Instead, he's using technology originally designed to destroy chemical weapons to annihilate PFAS under extreme heat and pressure. Read the profile.

Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed we're missing one honoree — Chet Kittleson, co-founder and CEO of Tin Can, the startup making WiFi-enabled landline phones to help kids connect without screens. Chet wasn't able to join us, but we plan to speak with him on a future episode.

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

On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, recorded backstage at the GeekWire Gala at the Showbox Sodo, we sit down with five of the inventors, scientists, and entrepreneurs selected as the Seattle region's 2025 Uncommon Thinkers, in partnership with <a href="https://greater-seattle.com/">Greater Seattle Partners</a>.
Jeff Thornburg spent years building rocket engines for Elon Musk at SpaceX and Paul Allen at Stratolaunch. Now, as CEO of Portal Space Systems, he's moved past chemical rockets to revive a concept NASA studied decades ago but never pursued &mdash; a spacecraft powered by focused sunlight. He calls it a "steam engine for space." <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/uncommon-thinkers-portal-space-jeff-thornburg/">Read the profile</a>.
Anindya Roy grew up in rural India without electricity, came to the U.S. with two suitcases and $2,000, and earned a spot in the lab of a Nobel Prize winner. Now, as co-founder of Lila Biologics, he's using AI to design proteins from scratch (molecules that have never existed in nature) to treat cancer. <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/uncommon-thinkers-a-scientists-journey-from-rural-india-to-turning-science-fiction-into-drug-candidates/">Read the profile</a>.
Jay Graber runs Bluesky, the decentralized social network that's become a leading alternative to X and other centralized platforms. But while most tech CEOs build moats to lock users in, Jay and the Bluesky team are building a protocol designed to let them leave. She sees the network as a "collective organism," and she's creating a tech foundation meant to outlive her own company. Read the profile. <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/uncommon-thinkers-bluesky-ceo-jay-graber-is-planting-the-seeds-for-a-decentralized-digital-world/">Read the profile</a>.
Kiana Ehsani came to Seattle from Iran for her PhD and spent four years at the Allen Institute for AI before becoming CEO of Vercept. She and the Vercept team are competing directly with OpenAI, Google and others in AI agents, building efficient agents that handle mundane digital tasks on computers so humans can spend less time on screens. <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/uncommon-thinkers-kiana-ehsani-thrives-on-scrappy-persistence-at-ai-startup-and-in-the-outdoors/">Read the profile</a>.
Brian Pinkard spent six months after college flipping rocks and building trails because he wanted to do work that mattered. That instinct led him to Aquagga, where he's proving that the industry standard of filtering and burying "forever chemicals" is obsolete. Instead, he's using technology originally designed to destroy chemical weapons to annihilate PFAS under extreme heat and pressure. <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/uncommon-thinkers-brian-pinkard-looks-for-impact-from-flipping-rocks-to-destroying-forever-chemicals/">Read the profile</a>.
Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed we're missing one honoree &mdash; <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/uncommon-thinkers-tin-can-is-chet-kittlesons-calling-and-a-way-to-foster-deeper-connections/">Chet Kittleson</a>, co-founder and CEO of Tin Can, the startup making WiFi-enabled landline phones to help kids connect without screens. Chet wasn't able to join us, but we plan to speak with him on a future episode.
With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton.

Uncommon Thinkers 2025: Solar spacecraft, sci-fi biology, destroying PFAS, beyond AI chatbots, and better social media

Trevor Noah speaks with GeekWire's Todd Bishop after Noah taught a 5th grade class at Ardmore Elementary in Bellevue, Wash., for Code.org's Hour of AI during Computer Science Education Week. The former Daily Show host, comedian, author, podcast host, and Microsoft "Chief Questions Officer" talks about learning AI alongside kids, the importance of maintaining unbridled curiosity, and how artificial intelligence may — or may not — reshape the craft of comedy.

RELATED STORY: ‘We are all kids in the age of AI’: Trevor Noah teaches 5th graders — and learns a few things himself

Trevor Noah speaks with GeekWire's Todd Bishop after Noah taught a 5th grade class at Ardmore Elementary in Bellevue, Wash., for Code.org's <a href="https://code.org/en-US/hour-of-ai">Hour of AI</a> during Computer Science Education Week. The former Daily Show host, comedian, <a href="https://trevornoahbooks.com/">author</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@WhatNowPodcast">podcast host</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFPUGjQjckXHAVzDxBpjXENRKgVU6KCzF">Microsoft "Chief Questions Officer"</a> talks about learning AI alongside kids, the importance of maintaining unbridled curiosity, and how artificial intelligence may &mdash; or may not &mdash; reshape the craft of comedy.
RELATED STORY: <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/we-are-all-kids-in-the-age-of-ai-trevor-noah-teaches-5th-graders-and-learns-a-few-things-himself/">&lsquo;We are all kids in the age of AI&rsquo;: Trevor Noah teaches 5th graders &mdash; and learns a few things himself</a>

Bonus: Trevor Noah on AI, education, and the future of comedy

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.

 

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 <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-aubrey-b90816/">Colleen Aubrey</a> 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
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/stars-on-the-ceiling-cher-on-the-speakers-notes-from-our-first-ride-in-amazons-zoox-robotaxi/">Stars on the ceiling, Cher on the speakers: Notes from our first ride in Amazon&rsquo;s Zoox robotaxi</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/groceries-in-a-flash-we-tested-amazon-now-in-seattle-and-got-our-delivery-in-23-minutes/">Groceries in a flash: We tested &lsquo;Amazon Now&rsquo; in Seattle &mdash; and got our delivery in 23 minutes</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/aws-ceo-matt-garman-thought-amazon-needed-a-million-developers-until-ai-changed-his-mind/">AWS CEO Matt Garman thought Amazon needed a million developers, until AI changed his mind</a></li>
</ul>
With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.
&nbsp;

AI boom and D.C. hot mics: OpenAI and Microsoft go to Washington, Amazon surveys the field

In 1 playlist(s)

GeekWire

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips