Civic – Page 3 of 56

The impact of AI and deepfakes on politics is worrying misinformation researchers

by Taylor Soper on January 30, 2024January 30, 2024 at 12:38 pm

A robocall created with artificial intelligence that impersonated President Joe Biden and targeted voters in New Hampshire earlier this month is just the latest example of how rapidly advancing AI… Read More

Citing fire dangers, Seattle bans batteries from the trash — here’s where they should go instead

by Lisa Stiffler on January 29, 2024January 30, 2024 at 11:53 am

Beginning this year, households in Seattle are banned from tossing old batteries in the trash — including everything from the tiny batteries that power hearing aids to those juicing up… Read More

Why the Washington state blockchain working group never met — and lessons for future initiatives

by Nathalie Graham on January 26, 2024January 31, 2024 at 6:24 pm

Back in 2022, legislators in Olympia passed a bill creating a working group with a sole purpose to evaluate blockchain technology’s potential in Washington state. The legislation mandated a first… Read More

FTC launches inquiry to scrutinize tech giant investments in OpenAI and Anthropic

by Taylor Soper on January 25, 2024January 25, 2024 at 2:34 pm

The Federal Trade Commission announced Thursday it is launching an inquiry that will “scrutinize” investments made by Seattle-area tech giants Microsoft and Amazon in AI startups OpenAI and Anthropic. The… Read More

Ring ends feature that let police ask users for videos via Neighbors app

by Todd Bishop on January 24, 2024January 24, 2024 at 9:21 am

Police and other public safety agencies will no longer be able to request and receive videos from users of Amazon’s Ring devices via its Neighbors app, the company said, ending… Read More

Initiative aiming to repeal Washington state capital gains tax passes key milestone

by Taylor Soper on January 23, 2024January 23, 2024 at 1:13 pm

The controversial capital gains tax in Washington state may appear on the November ballot later this year. Initiative 2109, which would repeal the tax, qualified for the ballot after collecting… Read More

Amazon not planning to add delivery fees in Seattle as new minimum wage law impacts Flex drivers

by Taylor Soper on January 19, 2024January 19, 2024 at 12:18 pm

Uber, Instacart, and DoorDash made it known last week that they were adding new delivery fees for Seattle customers as a result of recently implemented minimum wage laws for gig… Read More

Washington state’s capital gains tax stands as U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear appeal of law

by Lisa Stiffler on January 16, 2024January 16, 2024 at 9:25 am

The U.S. Supreme Court today decided not to hear an appeal of a Washington state Supreme Court ruling from March 2023 that found a statewide tax on capital gains to… Read More

Here’s why Uber Eats delivery fees in Seattle just skyrocketed

by Taylor Soper on January 12, 2024January 13, 2024 at 8:45 pm

Uber is not happy with Seattle’s lawmakers — and it’s showing up on customer receipts for food delivery orders. The company announced this week that it is jacking up delivery fees… Read More

Policy proposals: A list of the tech-related bills in this year’s Washington state legislative session

by Nathalie Graham on January 12, 2024January 12, 2024 at 8:32 am

Another Washington state legislative session is now underway in Olympia. For just 60 days, lawmakers will sift through hundreds of bills on issues ranging from housing and transportation to climate… Read More

Meet the techies vying for a vacant spot on the Seattle City Council

by Taylor Soper on January 11, 2024January 11, 2024 at 7:42 pm

Around a quarter of the applicants vying for an open position on the Seattle City Council come equipped with experience at tech companies and startups. The City revealed a list… Read More

Can a 42-member AI task force get anything done? Hearing raises questions about Wash. state plan

by Todd Bishop on January 10, 2024April 1, 2024 at 9:08 am

Representatives of different groups offered their input on the scope, timeline, goals, and, in some cases, the necessity of a proposed Artificial Intelligence Task Force in Washington state in the… Read More

Same-day delivery service Shipt to pause Seattle operations, blaming recently passed labor laws

by Kurt Schlosser on December 28, 2023December 28, 2023 at 12:14 pm

Citing new ordinances recently passed in Seattle that aim to help gig workers, the Target-owned delivery service Shipt informed customers this week that it will pause operations in the city starting Jan.… Read More

In his return to governor’s office, Joseph Williams wants to make AI part of Seattle’s future

by Nathalie Graham on December 27, 2023December 26, 2023 at 10:35 pm

In the five years since Joseph Williams advised Gov. Jay Inslee on tech policy as the state’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Sector Lead, a global pandemic upended work and… Read More

Seattle aims to unleash the power of open data through hackathon and new city strategy

by Lisa Stiffler on December 21, 2023December 21, 2023 at 10:50 am

The City of Seattle has a trove of internal data collected by more than two dozen departments. But if that information is inaccessible, of poor quality, or people don’t know… Read More

India set to open new consulate in Seattle area, with a focus on tech industry

by Taylor Soper on December 21, 2023December 27, 2023 at 2:36 pm

Seattle’s tech industry could get a boost from the new consulate of India set to open soon. Technology will be a key focus for the Seattle-area consulate, said Prakash Gupta,… Read More

Google to pay Washington state Play Store users as part of $700M antitrust settlement

by Kurt Schlosser on December 19, 2023December 19, 2023 at 10:15 am

Google Play Store users in Washington state are eligible for a share of a multistate $700 million antitrust lawsuit settlement reached against the tech giant. Filed in July 2021 by… Read More

Rules targeting financial criminals will require new filings for startups and small businesses

by Lisa Stiffler on December 19, 2023December 20, 2023 at 7:18 am

Startup and small business owners take note: if your company has 20 or fewer full-time employees and gross annual sales of less than $5 million, there’s a new federal filing… Read More

Washington state AG Bob Ferguson proposes AI task force to assess and report on risks

by Todd Bishop on December 18, 2023December 18, 2023 at 2:50 pm

Attorney General Bob Ferguson is proposing legislation to create a bipartisan Artificial Intelligence Task Force in Washington state that would recommend principles for AI use, identify potential high-risk uses of… Read More

Why many rural communities are still in the ‘digital dark’ — and how Washington state is trying to help

by Brandon Block on December 14, 2023December 14, 2023 at 2:46 pm

Brandon Block is a reporter for Crosscut, where this story first appeared. Applying for a job, scheduling a doctor appointment or even ordering a beer now often requires internet access,… Read More

Seattle approves ‘landmark policy’ requiring 4,100 buildings to slash carbon footprints by 2050

by Lisa Stiffler on December 12, 2023December 12, 2023 at 5:02 pm

The Seattle City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved rules requiring roughly 4,100 existing buildings of more than 20,000 square feet to slash their greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050.… Read More

Seattle councilmember wants a federal recall of Kias and Hyundais that lack anti-theft technology

by Lisa Stiffler on December 11, 2023December 11, 2023 at 5:15 pm

On Tuesday the Seattle City Council will vote on a resolution asking the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to recall Kia and Hyundai models that lack engine immobilizing, anti-theft technology.… Read More

Video

‘The epicenter of AI’: CNBC’s Cramer is mad about Seattle’s position in new wave of tech

by Kurt Schlosser on December 11, 2023December 11, 2023 at 3:25 pm

Just a few months after it looked like Seattle was being left out of the national conversation about artificial intelligence and the new tech economy, CNBC’s “Mad Money” host Jim… Read More

Seattle preps for new rules requiring more than 4,000 buildings to cut fossil fuel use by 2050

by Lisa Stiffler on November 30, 2023November 30, 2023 at 9:54 am

The Seattle City Council is closing in on new rules requiring roughly 4,100 existing buildings of more than 20,000 square feet to cut their greenhouse gas emissions to zero by… Read More

Why digital news sites were omitted from a Washington tax exemption trying to aid local media

by Lisa Stiffler on November 28, 2023November 29, 2023 at 12:44 pm

Since 2005, nearly 2,900 U.S. newspapers have closed as ad dollars moved online and subscriptions slumped. Washington state lawmakers grew so concerned about the trend that in 2009, they enacted… Read More

News Brief

Seattle Metro Chamber launches online tool to help small businesses connect to key resources

by Kurt Schlosser on November 14, 2023November 14, 2023 at 12:56 pm

Entrepreneurs and small business owners looking for resources to help get things off the ground or boost an existing venture have a new online tool in the Seattle area.