Bezos ‘very optimistic’ about a second Trump term | Tech Moves 

• Read profiles of other “Uncommon Thinkers”: Protein design researcher Ingrid Swanson Pultz; fusion energy expert Uri Shumlak; and Stoke Space CEO Andy Lapsa.

• They will be recognized at next week’s GeekWire Gala — get your tickets for our holiday extravaganza, Dec. 12 in Seattle.

Jeff Bezos is “very optimistic” about a second Trump term, saying he hopes to work with the president-elect, especially on deregulation. In a rare and wide-ranging interview at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit, the Amazon founder also discussed his continued work at the tech giant, his big aspirations for Blue Origin, his thoughts on AI, Elon Musk, and more. Watch and read highlights from the interview.

• Bezos said 95% of what he’s focused on at Amazon is AI related, and he got in a plug for the company’s announcement this week about “Nova” foundation models. Catch up on GeekWire’s coverage from AWS re:Invent.

Tech Moves: F5 and Esper hire marketing leaders; Amperity names a new chief revenue officer; and more key personnel changes. 

Microsoft’s ‘Copilot Vision’: A new opt-in Microsoft Copilot feature for Edge, released in limited preview, augments the browsing experience with AI that “sees” the same page the user is viewing, interacting via voice to offer ideas and recommendations. Read more.

Drones aid 911 responses: The Redmond (Wash.) Police Dept. is partnering with Seattle-based Brinc on drone technology to aid the department’s Drones as First Responders program. Read more.

A taste of space on Earth: Seattle-based Orbite raised $4 million and sealed a strategic deal with a leading hospitality company to advance its plans for offering space-oriented experiences on Earth.

• More funding news: Inflection, a Seattle startup that helps B2B companies automate marketing tasks, raised $7.6 million. 

• See all recent PNW startup funding here. 

Hot tip — thank your Amazon driver: The company is again encouraging customers to thank delivery drivers this holiday season — via Alexa or its website/app — and Amazon will chip in a $5 gratuity for a limited time.

Hot Links:

• Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai responded to criticism of his company’s position in the AI race by saying he’d like to do a side-by-side comparison of Google’s AI models with those of Microsoft. (CNBC)

• Initial reviews of Amazon Nova put it on par with competing AI models. (Simon Wilison)

• Microsoft researchers unveiled an "AI-resilient patch" for DNA synthesis screening tools to counter vulnerabilities in AI-driven protein design. (Eric Horvitz via LinkedIn) 

• The number of STEM graduates living in Seattle has nearly doubled since 2010 as the city’s highly educated population shows remarkable growth. (The Seattle Times)

• Redfin’s Redesign tool leverages AI to transform home photos and offer suggestions on how to decorate for the holidays. (Redfin)