Podcast: Amazon, Microsoft, and the new realities of AI at work

Amazon just told its workers that AI is coming for their jobs. Microsoft says we’re trapped in an “infinite workday.” We can’t tell the difference between humans and bots anymore, and Alexa is happy to laugh about it with us. This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss how AI is transforming our local tech giants, changing the fundamental nature of work, and blurring the lines between human and machine. We dive into the memo that has Amazon employees either signing up for AI training or updating their resumes; unpack why you’re answering emails at 10 p.m.; and explain how… Read More

Jun 21, 2025 - 14:28

Andy Jassy says AI will reduce Amazon’s corporate workforce over time, due to efficiency gains. (GeekWire File Photo / Todd Bishop)

Amazon just told its workers that AI is coming for their jobs. Microsoft says we’re trapped in an “infinite workday.” We can’t tell the difference between humans and bots anymore, and Alexa is happy to laugh about it with us.

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss how AI is transforming our local tech giants, changing the fundamental nature of work, and blurring the lines between human and machine.

We dive into the memo that has Amazon employees either signing up for AI training or updating their resumes; unpack why you’re answering emails at 10 p.m.; and explain how one of us ended up quizzing his dentist’s office assistant (or was it an AI chatbot?) about whether he or she (or it?) was human.

Then we ask the new Alexa+ what it (she?) thinks about the exchange.

Welcome to the new world of work — where the bots are getting better at being human, the humans are working more like machines, and your boss can’t tell if you’re burnt out or just badly programmed.