Most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of March 12, 2023 – GeekWire

More than 1,200 business and civic leaders gathered Tuesday afternoon for the Downtown Seattle Association’s annual “State of Downtown” event.  The bright sunny skies and spring-like weather that greeted attendees as they entered the sparkling brand new Seattle Convention Center seemed to highlight the DSA’s upbeat theme of the day: “Optimism & Opportunity.” But there was a more direct call to action that emerged during the 4-hour event: What’s it going to take to get office workers back downtown? … Read More

Meta announced another round of significant layoffs on Tuesday, as the parent company of Facebook and Instagram said it would cut about 10,000 jobs. … Read More

Editor’s note: Four months after the release of its ChatGPT chatbot, OpenAI unveiled its latest artificial intelligence technology, GPT-4, on Tuesday. … Read More

Silicon Valley Bank’s swift downward spiral could ease mortgage rates and push property prices downward in tech-heavy metros including San Francisco and Seattle. … Read More

Amazon, Starbucks and other large companies are mandating that workers return to the office with the hope that in-person interactions spur more creativity, productivity and profits.  But one Seattle tech CEO is not buying that argument. … Read More

Biopharma acquisitions often come with layoffs and lab shutdowns as smaller companies get absorbed. … Read More

Pfizer is buying Seattle-area biotech giant Seagen in a massive $43 billion deal announced Monday. … Read More

Make room, Seahawks, Mariners, Sounders, Storm and others. … Read More

Bellevue, Wash.-based wireless carrier T-Mobile announced Wednesday that it is acquiring Ka’ena Corp., owner of the brands Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile, in a deal worth up to $1.35 billion. … Read More

Silicon Valley Bank wants you back. The 40-year-old institution now supported by the U.S. … Read More