DeepSeek reality check; Amazon, Kuiper, Bezos, and the Post; lost in the Microsoft garage

GeekWire

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.

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