Get caught up on the latest technology and startup news from the past week. Here are the most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of July 20, 2025.
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Most popular stories on GeekWire
In new memo, Microsoft CEO addresses ‘enigma’ of layoffs amid record profits and AI investments
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella addressed the growing internal unease inside the tech giant Thursday morning, laying out the company’s priorities and urging employees to maintain its core values, while conceding that its rapid transition for the artificial intelligence era “might feel messy at times.” In a company-wide memo, Nadella acknowledged what he called the “uncertainty and seeming incongruence” of Microsoft’s situation. … Read More
Sweet-talk the bots: New research shows how LLMs respond to human persuasion tricks
New research from the Wharton School’s Generative AI Labs shows how large language models can be coaxed into ignoring safety guardrails by the same psychology tricks that work on real people. … Read More
Meet your AI interviewer: Seattle startup Humanly unveils video bot that grills job applicants
“More human than human” is the tagline for the company that produces replicants, the bioengineered humans that run amok in the classic science-fiction film “Blade Runner.” “More Humanly than human” could very well be the pitch on a new product from Seattle-based recruiting software startup Humanly, which unveiled its new “AI interviewers” on Wednesday. … Read More
Navigating the Seattle startup ecosystem: A guide for Microsoft and Amazon execs
Since I left Microsoft in May, I have been inundated by Microsoft executives and employees wanting to explore and engage in the Seattle startup ecosystem. … Read More
Tech Moves: Former AWS CEO joins Circle board; Microsoft poaches more Google AI talent
Adam Selipsky, former CEO of Amazon Web Services, joined the board of directors for Circle Internet Group, an international financial technology company. … Read More
UW researchers discover AI-powered breakthrough that could boost precision cancer treatment
A breakthrough in the science used to customize the treatment of cancer and other diseases is so promising that researchers at the University of Washington are planning to launch a company to commercialize the technology. … Read More
Seattle startup bets on new chip technology to tackle AI’s soaring energy use
A Seattle startup is developing a processing chip that is predicted to be orders of magnitude more energy efficient than today’s semiconductors while integrating seamlessly with existing computing infrastructure. … Read More
AI model from Microsoft and UW maps out breast cancer in MRIs with unprecedented accuracy
New research shows how AI technology can spot breast cancer in MRI scans more accurately than current digital methods, while also pinpointing exactly where suspicious tissue is located — a breakthrough that could make the sensitive screening tool available to more women. … Read More
Amazon is acquiring Bee, maker of a wearable AI assistant that listens to conversations
Amazon is buying Bee, a small San Francisco startup behind a $49.99 wearable wrist device designed to record and transcribe conversations. … Read More
Avalanche lands $10M state grant to build fusion energy R&D site in Washington
Seattle startup Avalanche Energy has landed $10 million from the Washington State Department of Commerce Green Jobs Grant Program to launch a first-of-its-kind, commercial-scale testing facility for fusion technologies in Eastern Washington. … Read More
