Instacart joins Uber in lawsuit against Seattle

Instacart is joining Uber in an attempt to block a new ordinance in Seattle that regulates how companies can deactivate workers who deliver food, shop for groceries, and complete other tasks via on-demand apps. The law was designed to provide more job security to app-based couriers, delivery drivers, and other service providers. But Instacart said that it infringes on constitutional rights and federal laws. Read more.

A startup led by Seattle doctors created a new line of defense against respiratory viruses, including bacterial-caused walking pneumonia and COVID-19, which is far from vanquished. Singletto ’s face masks — recently approved for use by the FDA — include a product that contains a chemical known for its ability to kill viruses, bacteria and fungi. Read more.

OpenAI ’s new o1 model marks a significant leap in AI reasoning capabilities but introduces critical risks, according to Anthony Diamond, Ph.D. , a principal at Pioneer Square Labs . Read more.

• Related: Longtime Seattle tech leader Kunal Chopra is heading up a new spinout from Pioneer Square Labs called Certivo , which is using artificial intelligence to rethink compliance management. Read more.

Hot Links:

• A push from Teamsters could shake up 亚马逊 ’s relationship with independent companies that deliver its packages. (The Information)
• Electricians are descending on central Washington to help build the data centers that will satisfy AI’s need for vast amounts of computing and electrical power. (The New York Times)
• 微软 is giving customers its Copilot AI assistant —?whether they like it or not. (Wall Street Journal)

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