AI is fueling a massive data center buildout — and Washington state wants new guardrails. A bill advancing in Olympia would require large facilities to cover their power costs and disclose detailed data on energy and water use amid growing concern about electricity demand and rising utility bills.
Read more. How Expedia is using AI: The Seattle-based travel giant is “experimenting aggressively” to test new ways to reach travelers — and also seeing benefits from rolling out AI inside its own business. Read more.
Spokane startup heats up with new funding: Blaze Barrier closed a $760,000 seed round for its wildfire-fighting system, which can be deployed quickly by firefighters or homeowners as a way to slow or contain a brush fire. Read more.
Anti-microchip bill advances: A Washington state bill that would ban employers from requiring or pressuring workers to be microchipped passed in the House of Representatives. The legislation aims to protect worker privacy and bodily autonomy, and would make Washington the 14th state to enact such a law.
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Thanks for subscribing to the GeekWire newsletter and have a great week. — GeekWire editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com; and reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com.
