AI Investing in Seattle with Ascend.vc General Partner Kirby Winfield

Background and early career: Kirby gained experience as an entrepreneur early in his career through founding multiple companies.

Transition to Venture capital: Looking for a new challenge, Kirby leveraged his experience operating startups to co-found Ascend and advise other founders.

Investment thesis and framework for evaluating AI opportunities: Kirby evaluates AI opportunities through the lens of whether they present applied or foundational uses of the technology.

Portfolio companies: Two of Ascend's portfolio companies applying AI in novel ways are Overland for autonomous vehicles and Clarity for detecting deepfakes.

Incumbent tech companies and AI: Kirby believes startups should focus on radically improving problems rather than competing directly with incumbent features to succeed against large companies.

Seattle's potential as a tech hub: Seattle is poised to become a major tech hub to rival Silicon Valley as its startup ecosystem matures and attracts more founders and engineers.

Mentors and influences: Guidance from mentors like John Keister and Oren Etzioni helped Kirby navigate different stages of his career in startups and investing.

Future of work and AI: Kirby is optimistic AI could automate drudgery and unleash human potential but acknowledges change will be gradual and new challenges will emerge.