Amazon exec explains grocery changes, debunks reports about human reviewers

Amazon's grocery changes, explained: The tech giant says it’s developing a new generation of its Dash Carts that improve the user experience, as it rolls out the smart grocery carts to more of its own stores and, for the first time, to third-party retailers.

• Amazon is still investing in its Just Walk Out cashier-less technology in smaller stores, even as it removes the infrastructure from its large grocery stores.
• And contrary to published reports, Just Walk Out is powered by AI, not people in India watching through cameras to tally up every shopper’s bill.

Those are the takeaways from Amazon exec Dilip Kumar in an interview with GeekWire and a post from Amazon seeking to set the record straight about its grocery tech. Read more .?

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Tech Moves:

• Longtime Microsoft executive Gurdeep Pall (above, left) is joining experience management technology company Qualtrics as its first president of artificial intelligence strategy. He’s the latest former Microsoft leader to resurface in an AI-related role at another company. Read more .
• Sarah Bird (above, center), former CEO of Moz, is now CEO at Canvas, a software company that builds technology for remodeling, architecture and interior design. Read more.

• The Washington Technology Industry Association named Kristen Forecki (above, right) as its new board chair. Forecki is a senior director at Microsoft who previously worked for Convoy, Rover, and Amazon. Read more .

“We want to end this project.” Google and Amazon employees joined a protest in Seattle and other tech hubs Tuesday, demonstrating their opposition to a cloud computing contract called Project Nimbus that the companies signed with the Israeli government three years ago. Read more .

Amazon, Microsoft, and a number of climate startups are among a group of businesses supporting a campaign to defeat a November ballot initiative that would scuttle Washington state's most impactful climate policy. Read more .

Hot Links:

• Seattle tech investor T. A. McCann shared advice on doing side projects — which sometimes turn into entrepreneurial pursuits. (T.A. McCann )
• Blake Resnick , CEO of Seattle drone maker BRINC Drones , is quoted in a story about the U.S. drone industry and the war in Ukraine. (Wall Street Journal )
• The Daily Beast is hiring for a new role: Senior Lauren Sanchez Correspondent. (Axios )

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