The biggest unresolved question in AI right now, and more takeaways from Madrona’s IA40 Summit

What happened

The biggest unresolved question in AI right now, and more takeaways from Madrona’s IA40 Summit, according to GeekWire. Executives from Microsoft, Amazon, Anthropic and Stripe described AI agents (AI that carries out multi-step tasks rather than answering one question) stepping between companies and their customers, without settling who keeps the customer relationship or the data that comes from it. Also: why most companies are far behind Anthropic's own gains from AI, and a split over relying on a single AI provider. Anthropic is an artificial intelligence company based in San Francisco.

Madrona Managing Director Matt McIlwain speaks at the IA40 Summit in Seattle on Wednesday. (GeekWire Photo / Todd Bishop) Executives from companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Anthropic and Stripe agreed on a lot this week about where AI is headed. That question was a recurring theme at Madrona’s IA40 Summit , the venture capital firm’s annual gathering of AI startups, investors and tech executives, held Wednesday at the Four Seasons Hotel on the downtown Seattle waterfront.