Amazon buckles down and bets big

How startups can compete in generative AI | GeekWire Awards voting heats up ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: The GeekWire Awards, presented by Astound Business Solutions, return: [Cast your vote for the top Pacific Northwest innovators!]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's annual letter to shareholders this week delivered a dual message: while the company might not be done streamlining its operations, it's also not scaling back its ambitions for future growth. Jassy (above)[outlined Amazon’s strategy]( to expand further into generative artificial intelligence, healthcare, satellite broadband, and other sectors, even as he hinted that the company might continue to cut costs in some areas. On a new episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we share key takeaways from the letter and discuss where Amazon is headed next. [Listen here]( or subscribe to GeekWire in [Apple Podcasts]( [Google Podcasts]( [Spotify]( or wherever you listen. Related: [Amazon faces a record 18 shareholder resolutions at annual meeting]( Speaking of Amazon, and podcasts ... a recent [episode of the podcast SmartLess]( illustrated the tech giant's reach into entertainment. Ben Affleck, a guest on the episode, praised Amazon Studios for releasing his new movie, “Air,” in theaters before Amazon Prime. Jason Bateman, who co-hosts SmartLess with Will Arnett and Sean Hayes, made sure listeners heard that Affleck was referring to Amazon. Not mentioned: Amazon bought the rights to SmartLess in 2021 [for as much as $80 million](. Startups in the early stages of building generative AI tools should concentrate on specialized verticals such as healthcare, biotech, and legal industries. That’s one big takeaway from a recent panel about the new era of AI. [Read more.]( Jet City … Satellite City … Cloud City … what about “Quantum Valley”? Billions of dollars are at stake in the race to become the center of one of computing's big frontiers. Tech leaders size up what it will take for Seattle and the Pacific Northwest to beat other regions when it comes to academic research, business development, and government backing for quantum computing. [Read more.]( Have you voted for the GeekWire Awards? Catch up quick and cast your votes ahead of [our celebration of tech leaders and innovators]( on May 18 in Seattle. Here are the categories we’ve profiled so far: - [UX Design of the Year]( Finalists help users in health care, worker training and more - [Workplace of the Year]( How these finalists navigate challenging times - [Young Entrepreneur of the Year]( Finalists share their entrepreneurship tips - [Deal of the Year]( Affini-T Therapeutics, Bungie, Copper, First Mode, MotherDuck - [Innovation of the Year]( AI makes its mark - [CEO of the Year]( Meet the five finalists - [Startup CEO of the Year]( Meet the five finalists - [Startup of the Year]( Arrived Homes, Lexion, Phaidra, Shipium, WhyLabs Thanks for [subscribing]( to the GeekWire newsletter, and have a great weekend. — GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop, todd@geekwire.com, and GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, [kurt@geekwire.com](. SPONSOR MESSAGE [Transform Your Microsoft Office Experience with the #1 ChatGPT Add-in, Ghostwriter!]( Introducing Ghostwriter, the ultimate writing companion for Microsoft Office, powered by ChatGPT’s cutting-edge technology. This revolutionary assistant delivers swift and precise content, reclaiming valuable time for you. With its state-of-the-art natural language processing and machine learning capabilities, Ghostwriter empowers users to ideate, strategize, and craft content like never before, accelerating your writing process to unparalleled speeds. [Learn more!]( LATEST HEADLINES [Amazon’s new agenda: Tech giant buckles down and bets big under CEO Andy Jassy]( [Here’s how startups can position themselves against big tech in the generative AI race]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [INRIX: Corporate Controller]( - [MedBridge: Software Engineer III (Back end)]( - [National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR): Software Engineer III – DevOps]( - [Global Innovation Exchange, University of Washington: Technology Services Specialist]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? BUY A FEATURED LISTING TO APPEAR HERE]( [About GeekWire]( [Contact Us]( [Advertise]( Copyright © 2023 GeekWire LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted to receive emails from GeekWire LLC.  Our mailing address is: GeekWire LLC 123 NW 36th St, Suite 203 Seattle, WA 98107  [change email frequency or address]( | [unsubscribe](