Seattle VCs debate the capital gains tax | Google, Apple vets raise $17M for new large language model startup

• Related: Will the new capital gains tax cause businesses to leave Washington state?

Large language models are gaining attention with the rise of AI programs such as ChatGPT. A new Seattle startup led by Google and Apple vets just raised a $17 million seed round to help developers integrate LLMs into their own applications.

In other GPT news, Microsoft research chief Peter Lee has been spending a lot of time with the tool — ”I lost a couple weeks of sleep,” he said in a recent University of Washington lecture — and spoke with GeekWire about the implications for healthcare. 

Bill Gates believes autonomous vehicles will change transportation the way PCs changed office work. In a new video, the Microsoft co-founder got a look at the road ahead during a ride across busy London. 

“What’s more boring than an hour-long meeting? A recording of an hour-long meeting.” Seattle startup Read released a “SportsCenter for meetings” tool that uses AI to convert a 60-minute video recording into a 2-minute highlight reel. 

Meet the GeekWire Award finalists for Startup CEO of the Year. These leaders (above) are taking on a range of tech and innovation challenges, in disciplines that include plant-based meat production, young adult mental health care, employee communication, DNA analysis, and automation of job candidate screening. Cast your vote. 

Don’t be scared to pitch big. That’s advice from Leslie Feinzaig, managing director of Graham & Walker, who shared tips to help women founders navigate the world of venture capital. 

Last call:

• Slow down: An open letter signed by tech leaders including Elon Musk calls for a six-month pause on advanced AI work, citing safety and other concerns.    

• Find the blossoms: A geographer created a map showing all the flowering cherry trees in Seattle. 

• Play ball! It’s Opening Day for pro baseball. The Seattle Mariners will host the Cleveland Guardians tonight at T-Mobile Park, which is debuting three new stores with Amazon’s cashierless technology.