What’s at stake for Seattle in times of dramatic change?
University of Washington Foster School of Business marketing professor Jeff Shulman has spent years studying that question, as host of the Seattle Growth Podcast, director of the Product Management Center, and a civic voice on issues ranging from housing affordability to the campaign to bring back the Sonics.
On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, Shulman joins us to talk about Seattle’s place in the global AI boom, why the city has struggled to produce superstar startups, what AI means for marketing and education, and how civic identity, tech, business, and sports have fueled the region in the past.
Shulman reflects on Seattle’s history of tech booms, noting that past eras led by Boeing, Microsoft, and Amazon created powerful local ecosystems and virtuous cycles that attracted talent and spurred innovation.
It happened most recently with the rise of the cloud, led by Amazon Web Services.
But the dynamic isn’t repeating itself in the current AI wave, with the industry’s center of gravity forming in the Bay Area instead. Two GeekWire stories this week underscored the problem: one highlighting Seattle’s absence from the top AI startup funding rounds, the other examining the regulatory hurdles preventing robotaxis in the region.
“We still have Amazon and Microsoft, but we have not become the Al capital of the world like we should have,” Shulman said. “We’re not seeing that virtuous cycle with Al yet, and it’s a missed opportunity.”
RELATED LINKS
- Seattle is a global AI hub — but where are the superstar startups?
- Despite status as a global tech hub, Seattle passengers still can’t hail a driverless ride
- Ken Griffey Jr. Wants Role in Bringing Seattle Sonics Back
- Seattle Now Podcast: Casual Friday with Todd Bishop and Jeff Shulman
Also check out the Seattle Growth Podcast and “On the Brink” documentary.
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Edited by Curt Milton
