Microsoft engineer says company thwarted his attempts to expose AI safety issue

Recent deepfake images of Taylor Swift are "an example of the type of abuse I was concerned about and the reason why I urged OpenAI to remove DALL·E 3 from public use and reported my concerns to Microsoft," writes Shane Jones, a Microsoft principal software engineering lead. 

We’re awaiting responses from Microsoft and OpenAI. Read the story and the letter. 

Related: Speaking on a panel yesterday in Seattle, misinformation researchers from the University of Washington expressed concern about the democratization of rapidly advancing AI tools used to create deepfakes — with potential implications for elections. Read more. 

Batteries are now banned from household trash in Seattle because of fire danger, but residents have a variety of disposal options, including the city’s free drop-off locations or private companies with subscription pick-up services. Read more.

Amazon delivery speeds getting faster: The company reported a 65% increase in the number of items in the U.S. arriving same day or overnight in the fourth quarter of 2023 as it continues to tweak where and how products are stored, sorted and shipped across its fulfillment network. Read more.

Seattle-area venture capital firm Fuse led a $6 million round for a space-centric startup called Quindar which will use the funding to boost its cloud-hosted, AI-supported software platform for satellite management. Read more.

Tech Moves: Seattle tech vet Dave Cotter launches advisory firm; Amazon sports leader Marie Donoghue lands at DraftKings; Oleria hires former Microsoft GM Kirt Debique; Tactile and Yesler add board members; and more key personnel changes. 

Hot Links:

• Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was deeply involved in the design and development of the new $2 billion arena for his NBA team. (Bloomberg)

• Fewer homebuyers are leaving the Bay Area, following a pandemic-driven migration out of the tech hub to places like Seattle. (Redfin)

• Entrepreneur vs. Wantrepreneur: Pioneer Square Labs investor T.A. McCann says entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone and demands sacrifices — something to consider for people thinking of starting a company. (LinkedIn)

• Seattle techie Yohei Nakajima created a version of the Oregon Trail game within ChatGPT. (@yoheinakajima)