Byron Cook, a VP and distinguished scientist at Amazon, is helping the company use an obscure type of AI to minimize artificial intelligence’s worst side effect. And it’s giving Amazon an edge. Up in the Cascade Mountains, 90 miles east of Seattle, a group of high-ranking Amazon engineers gather for a private off-site. They hail from the company’s North America Stores division, and they’re here at this Hyatt resort on a crisp September morning to brainstorm new ways to power Amazon’s retail experiences. Passing the hotel lobby’s IMAX-like mountain views, they filter into windowless meeting rooms.