OpenAI’s Sora and the future of AI-generated video

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss startups bringing employees into the office five days a week, the upcoming release of a juicy Amazon book, and the new Sora text-to-video technology from OpenAI — with comments from Rahul Sood, CEO and co-founder of Irreverent Labs, a Seattle-area startup that is working on AI to turn images and text into video. Above: An image from a video generated by Sora.

• Behind the scenes: Sood is the first guest to join us remotely via the Apple Vision Pro, using the device’s built-in mics, and to our ears, the sound quality is as good or better than the broadcast-quality mics that we use at GeekWire. His segment starts at 24:25 if you want to listen and judge for yourself.

• ​Read more and listen here, and subscribe to GeekWire in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Expedia Group says it will “install additional security enhancements and accelerate our detection capabilities,” during a three-day closure of its Seattle headquarters following the discovery of spy cameras in two bathrooms in early December and January, first reported by GeekWire on Tuesday. A former Expedia Group employee, Marcelo F. Vargas-Fernandez, 42, pleaded not guilty to four counts of voyeurism in connection with the case. Read more.

Tech Moves: Seattle-area software entrepreneur Jordan Schwartz joins a San Diego-based vanlife startup; longtime telecom exec Cole Brodman named CEO at Opanga Networks; and more key personnel changes. 

Radiation research: An international team of scientists has blazed a new trail for studying how atoms respond to radiation, by tracking the energetic movement of electrons when a sample of liquid water is blasted with X-rays. Read more.

Hot Links:

• Microsoft is among 20 companies that signed a new “Tech Accord to Combat Deceptive Use of AI in 2024 Elections.” (Microsoft)

• Amazon is joining others including SpaceX and Trader Joe’s that accuse the National Labor Relations Board of violating the U.S. Constitution. (The Hill)

Thanks for subscribing to the GeekWire newsletter, and have a great weekend. — GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com; and GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop, todd@geekwire.com.