How AI is changing the way scientists make drugs, biosensors, enzymes and more

• Seattle companies, many of them spinouts of the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design, are at the forefront.
• Outspace Bio, for example, is using software called RF Diffusion, a deep-learning tool which operates much like the AI tool DALL-E, known for generating images through verbal prompts. But instead of psychedelic cats or lurid landscapes, the tool at Outpace dreams up designs of proteins (above), one of life’s key building blocks. Read more.

Developing story: Microsoft announced a new round of job cuts internally Monday morning, impacting an as-yet-unknown number of employees in customer service, support, and sales. Follow the news here.

For the first time this year, Amazon is trying an invite-only approach for some Prime Day deals, requiring customers to request invitations to purchase certain items during the annual sales event, taking place Tuesday and Wednesday this week. The criteria for selecting customers after they request invites is a mystery. Read more.

Hundreds of drones lit up the Seattle sky next to the Space Needle on Sunday night as part of a baseball-themed light show in celebration of the All-Star Game. Images included Seattle Mariners star Julio Rodriguez (above), the city skyline, Ichiro and more. Read more.

• Stay tuned to GeekWire for continuing coverage of the technology associated with the All-Star Game and assorted festivities.

The next big Marvel Comics video game is being made in Seattle. Electronic Arts revealed that it’s opened a new studio called Cliffhanger Games, and its first project is an original single-player game starring Marvel superhero the Black Panther. Read more.

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• Generative AI “functions as a BS generator,” making it “extremely cheap and easy to generate content — including micro-targeted messages for specific audiences — to power a disinformation campaign," says University of Washington professor Kate Starbird. (Axios)

• Real estate listings can be scary for a whole host of reasons, but this unique property being showcased by Zillow is purposefully frightening. As a promotion for the upcoming film “Haunted Mansion,” the Seattle real estate company teamed with Disney to show off a 5-bedroom thriller. (Zillow)

• The Oregonian newspaper is turning to AI to generate some articles on its website, OregonLive. The practice, via a company called United Robots, will start with brief reports on real estate transactions around the state. (OregonLive)