This week on the GeekWire Podcast: How artificial intelligence is reshaping media and advertising, and what it says about the future of the creative process. Our guest is Jay Richman, an Amazon vice president of product and technology who leads the technology team developing AI tools used by sellers and brands to create and deploy ads across Amazon's platforms.

His career has tracked the evolution of digital media, from early apps for the Palm Pilot to the first wave of streaming at NBC Universal, and the reinvention of podcast ads and monetization at Spotify.

Richman, who's based in New York, was in town this week for Amazon's Accelerate seller conference, where he announced new agentic AI capabilities within Amazon's Creative Studio.

Related Post: Amazon unveils new agentic AI tools for sellers amid heightened scrutiny

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Audio editing by Curt Milton.

 

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: How artificial intelligence is reshaping media and advertising, and what it says about the future of the creative process. Our guest is <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrichman/">Jay Richman</a>, an Amazon vice president of product and technology who leads the technology team developing AI tools used by sellers and brands to create and deploy ads across Amazon's platforms.
His career has tracked the evolution of digital media, from early apps for the Palm Pilot to the first wave of streaming at NBC Universal, and the reinvention of podcast ads and monetization at Spotify.
Richman, who's based in New York, was in town this week for Amazon's Accelerate seller conference, where he announced <a href="https://advertising.amazon.com/library/news/amazon-ads-agentic-ai-creative-tool">new agentic AI capabilities</a> within Amazon's Creative Studio.
Related Post: <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/amazon-unveils-new-agentic-ai-tools-for-its-crucial-seller-marketplace-amid-heightened-scrutiny/">Amazon unveils new agentic AI tools for sellers amid heightened scrutiny</a>
With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Audio editing by Curt Milton.
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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

When AI becomes the creative director: Amazon VP Jay Richman on the future of media and ads

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. 

What's the real value in AI tools &mdash; and what separates those who use them well from those who don't? <a href="https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/carroll-school/faculty-research/faculty-directory/sam-ransbotham.html">Sam Ransbotham</a>, 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&nbsp;<a href="https://sloanreview.mit.edu/audio-series/me-myself-and-ai/">Me, Myself and AI podcast feed</a>.&nbsp;

Finding signal in the AI noise, with ‘Me, Myself and AI’ host Sam Ransbotham

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 Bishop

This week: Jeff Bezos is <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/jeff-bezos-takes-co-ceo-role-at-secretive-ai-startup-project-prometheus/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">back in startup mode</a> (sort of) with Project Prometheus &mdash; 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&rsquo;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&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/amazon-expands-package-return-network-with-new-goodwill-partnership-in-seattle-area/">latest real-world experiment</a>: package-return kiosks popping up inside Goodwill stores around the Seattle region. It&rsquo;s a small pilot, but it brings back memories of the early days when Amazon&rsquo;s oddball experiments seemed to appear out of nowhere.
And finally&hellip;Todd makes the case for upgrading his 2007 Toyota Camry with CarPlay, Android Auto, and a backup camera &mdash; while John questions the logic of sinking thousands into a beloved older car.
All that, plus <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bishoptodd_ok-microsoft-experts-weve-got-a-thrift-activity-7396653197215350785-Lm4Y?utm_source=share&amp;amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&amp;amp;rcm=ACoAAAAmZBMB4ZPLFVeakJlucqgeZbv9Gl1WRKU">a mystery Microsoft shirt</a>, a little Seattle nostalgia, and a look ahead to next week&rsquo;s podcast collaboration with <a href="https://sloanreview.mit.edu/audio-series/me-myself-and-ai/">Me, Myself and AI</a> from MIT Sloan Management Review.
With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop

Bezos is back in startup mode, Amazon gets weird again, and the great old-car tech retrofit debate

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. 

This week: A glimpse of the AI frontier in workplace productivity through the eyes of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidshim/">David Shim</a> &mdash; serial entrepreneur, Read AI co-founder and CEO, former Foursquare leader, and this year&rsquo;s GeekWire Awards&nbsp;CEO of the Year. Shim spoke with GeekWire co-founder John Cook at a recent dinner event hosted in partnership with&nbsp;Accenture, in conjunction with our new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/special-coverage/agents-of-transformation/">Agents of Transformation</a> editorial series, exploring AI, productivity, and the future of work.
They discuss the rapid rise of workplace AI, why Shim believes today&rsquo;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 &ldquo;multiplayer AI,&rdquo; global adoption, and the controversial idea of &ldquo;digital twins&rdquo; built from employees&rsquo; work data.
Recorded by Jessica Reeves; edited by Curt Milton.&nbsp;

When AI becomes the creative director: Amazon VP Jay Richman on the future of media and ads

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