Shows / Marketplace Tech
Marketplace Tech
Monday through Friday, Marketplace demystifies the digital economy in less than 10 minutes. We look past the hype and ask tough questions about an industry that's constantly changing.
Episodes
Marketplace TechAI's double-edged (cyber) sword
Anthropic’s newest AI model, Mythos, is so good, the company says, at uncovering security vulnerabilities that it's too dangerous to release to the public…
Marketplace TechWhat we learned from the Canvas hack
Earlier this month, a group called ShinyHunters took responsibility for a hack on the education platform Canvas, which is used for coursework at colleges. In a…
Marketplace TechStudy finds AI is making the internet more artificially happy
As of mid-2025, about a third of newly published websites were generated by artificial intelligence. That’s a massive increase from just three years before…
Marketplace TechCanada to share its hydropower with Northeast U.S.
Hydropower is one of the oldest forms of energy creation, and uses the flow of rushing water to create electricity. The province of Québec, Canada, has…
Marketplace TechMeta wants AI chats to be private
This week, WhatsApp is offering private chats with its AI. Plus, Princeton will now hold supervised exams after a rise in AI-fueled cheating. But first…
Marketplace TechWhy audio deepfakes are so hard to spot
Voice cloning is the use of artificial intelligence to generate a clone of a real person’s voice, imitating the sound, when they pause and what words they…
Marketplace TechRaising kids in an AI-driven world
In order to write her new book “I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI To Do ‘Almost’ Everything," journalist Joanna Stern decided to invite artificial…
Marketplace TechWhat AI can and can't do for you (for now)
Imagine if you invited robots - smart ones or “smart-ish,” at least - into every aspect of your life. Your emails and texts are all composed by an AI, the bots…
Marketplace TechAmid Silicon Valley scramble for AI agent productivity, "token anxiety" takes hold
There's a new flex in Silicon Valley: how big is your AI agent swarm? They can work on your behalf, autonomously, 24/7, on whatever goal you give them. You…
Marketplace TechAnthropic’s new, powerful allies: Elon Musk and SpaceX
On this week’s “Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review,” we’ll discuss why Apple is paying a $250 million settlement over its Apple Intelligence tool and its…
Marketplace TechElon Musk is in court arguing that OpenAI abandoned its nonprofit model
Back in 2015, Elon Musk and Sam Altman got the idea to start a nonprofit AI lab to develop artificial general intelligence that benefits all humanity. The lab…
Marketplace TechDoes AI save time in police work?
Technology has been transformative for how police officers do their jobs. Body cameras, speed detection technology and surveillance drones are some prominent…
Marketplace TechCan AI improve your odds of finding good childcare?
The startup Winnie is a marketplace for childcare. It works like this: Parents type in the age of their kid and their zip code, then different childcare…
Marketplace TechA bill that bans kids from using AI chatbots is gaining momentum
The GUARD Act is a bipartisan bill that would prohibit companies from letting kids under 18 interact with what the legislation calls "AI companions,” which are…
Marketplace TechTaylor Swift vs. AI
This week, Taylor Swift trademarked her voice and image in what appears to be a bid to protect against AI misuse. Plus, a Japanese airline is experimenting…
Marketplace TechMiddle East tensions are putting tech supply chains under pressure
The war with Iran has upended supply chains including for materials that are critical to building the electronics we use everyday, such as a certain kind of…
Marketplace TechHow this startup is bringing nuclear power to AI data centers
There's been renewed interest in nuclear power in recent years, thanks in part to demand from tech companies in search of reliable energy to power their AI…
Marketplace TechIntroducing the world’s largest Math Olympiad database
The International Math Olympiad is a yearly competition for students, most of them high school age, who compete to solve six difficult math problems. They're…
Marketplace TechWhat a reform to Section 702 could look like
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, allows government agencies to collect information about foreign nationals located abroad…
Marketplace TechBytes: Week in Review — Apple’s new CEO, Meta's latest AI play, and Roblox's safety updates
This week, Meta is reportedly laying off 10% of its workers. But in the meantime, it's also capturing their mouse clicks to train its AI models. Plus, Roblox…
Marketplace TechAnti-AI data center sentiment is becoming a political issue
Lawmakers around the U.S. are moving to restrict data center development. Maine, for example, recently passed what's being called the country's first statewide…
Marketplace TechWhen do tech companies need to be consistently profitable?
The social media company Snap recently announced it’s laying off about 1,000 workers — 16% of its employees. The company said these changes will reduce costs…
Marketplace TechNews sites are blocking access to Internet Archive's Wayback Machine
The Wayback Machine is a project of the Internet Archive. It sends out web crawlers to take snapshots of the internet, creating a digital library of web pages…
Marketplace TechCalifornia buildings must limit "embodied carbon." Here's what that means
California became the first state to regulate embodied carbon in its building code. That’s changing the construction industry even beyond the state border…
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Bytes: Week in Review — AI companies divided over proposed state law, Amazon buys Globalstar, and Spotify to sell physical books
This week, Spotify is letting its users buy physical books. Plus, Amazon acquires the satellite service provide Globalstar. But first, state lawmakers in…
Marketplace TechOne way to avoid AI altogether? Retire early
The share of older workers is on the decline — about 37% of people age 55 and above are now active in the labor force. About a decade ago, it was around 40%…
Marketplace TechHow botnets infiltrate the internet of things
Routers, computers, web cameras — they all connect to the internet. And they can be infected with malicious software that lets someone else take over. The…
Marketplace TechStates are getting crypto‑curious
State governments invest their money a lot like a person might. Some treasuries, some mutual funds, a dash of corporate bonds, all intended to grow over time…
Marketplace TechIs “made by humans” the new premium label?
Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes was shopping recently with her seven-year-old who was drawn to a “Relaxolotl,” a tea infuser shaped like an axolotl. And it had…
Marketplace TechBytes: Week in Review — Anthropic's new AI model, a referendum on data centers, and NASA livestreams journey to space
This week, a Wisconsin city votes to restrict future data center development. Plus, the astronauts on Artemis II take their journey to social media. But first…
Marketplace TechTrust in government data practices is rapidly deteriorating
For years, consumers have worried about how the private sector — namely, big tech — handles their personal data. Now a new survey from the Center for Democracy…
Marketplace TechAre humans losing the ability to think for themselves?
As humans have integrated artificial intelligence into their daily lives, there is growing concern that AI is doing the bulk of the thinking. According to the…
Marketplace TechBy 2030, EVs could cost the same as their gas guzzling siblings
In the U.S., battery electric and plug-in hybrid cars have been more expensive than their gasoline-powered counterparts, costing about $8,000 more on average…
Marketplace TechWould banning teens from social media violate their First Amendment rights?
Four months after Australia’s landmark law that banned all minors under the age of 16 from creating or owning social media accounts, the California legislature…
Marketplace TechBytes: Week in Review - SpaceX's IPO, Iran threatens U.S. tech firms and California's new AI executive order
On this week’s “Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review,” Big Tech operations in the Middle East from companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft could be…
Marketplace Tech34 days without internet in Iran
It is day 34 of the internet blackout in Iran. But while it is the longest in their history, it does not mean that Iranians are without internet. In Iran…
Marketplace TechMeta and Youtube held liable for their addictive products
In rare verdicts, juries in New Mexico and Los Angeles sided against multiple Big Tech companies last week. In Los Angeles, Meta and Youtube were found liable…
Marketplace TechToo much AI in the office is causing "brain fry"
The promise of artificial intelligence is that it will take on all the boring tasks we don’t want to do and free us up to do the fun, high-level work. But…
Marketplace TechMLB brings automated ball-strike tech to the Big Leagues
In baseball, calling balls and strikes is a kind of art form. Now, a little more science is being added to the artistry. Major League Baseball has introduced…
Marketplace TechBytes: Week in Review — Meta, YouTube’s social media addiction case, a new AI literacy course, and Kalshi’s prediction market self-regulation
The prediction market platform Kalshi announces new rules this week. Plus, the Department of Labor introduces an AI literacy course. But first, a jury in Los…
Marketplace TechThe tech transforming Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge
It's been two years exactly since the Francis Scott Key Bridge here in Baltimore was hit by a container ship, the Dali, causing it to collapse. When it fell…
Marketplace TechWhy digital archiving is more than "store and ignore"
There are few worse feelings for a radio journalist than when you realize some tape you thought you had nicely stored is actually gone. And when we say tape…
Marketplace TechU.S. regulators eye rules for prediction markets
Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino takes a look at how platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket are allowed to function in states with varying gambling…
Marketplace TechWhat do students lose when they rely on AI for homework?
More than 60% of middle, high school, and college students in the U.S. are turning to AI for homework help, according to a new study from Rand. Some use it to…
Marketplace TechBytes: Week in Review — Gecko's $71M contract with U.S. Navy, BuzzFeed doubts its business viability, and Amazon offers faster delivery
This week, Amazon speeds up delivery even more. Plus, will BuzzFeed stay in business?But first, Gecko, a robotics startup, landed a $71 million contract with…
Marketplace TechHow low-cost drones are used in modern military strikes
There have been decades of attempts to make destructive drones, going back to World War I. The technology has advanced significantly since then. Drones now…
Marketplace TechThe ethics of using AI to immortalize the dead
There's an emerging industry that uses artificial intelligence to create simulations of people who've died. These post mortem avatars are also called…
Marketplace TechAI-powered workplace tools keep tabs on employees
More and more companies are incorporating artificial intelligence into their workflows — from AI assistants that record and analyze meetings, to AI notetakers…
Marketplace TechHow confident are crypto consumers?
Here at Marketplace, we often report on a monthly economic indicator from the University of Michigan called the consumer sentiment index. It basically looks…
Marketplace TechBytes: Week in Review - Amazon and AI, YouTube tops the media market and Meta buys an AI-only social network
This week, the AI chatbot social network Moltbook finds a new home. Plus, YouTube dominates the media landscape. But first, a look at AI-related site outages…
Marketplace TechWhy Bitcoin falls short as a safe haven in geopolitical turmoil
Pretty much since its inception, the cryptocurrency bitcoin has been compared to gold: There’s only so much of it, its value isn't tied to any fiat currency…
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An Ohio newspaper gives AI a byline
The Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio, has been around since the 1800s. Now, it's leaning into a very 21st century tactic: embracing the use of…
Marketplace TechWhat do Girl Scouts get out of selling cookies online?
Girl Scout cookie sales started back in 1917. In addition to raising money, cookie selling is also meant to make the girls more business savvy. The Girl Scouts…
Marketplace TechCalifornia’s one-stop shop for data brokers to delete consumers' data
The 39.4 million people who live in California now have a new tool where they can request that data brokers delete their personal information. That may include…
Marketplace TechBytes: Week in Review — Prediction markets reel amid Iran conflict, defense contractors to drop Anthropic, and Meta's AI deal with News Corp
Meta and News Corp reached a licensing deal this week. Plus, defense contractors untangle Claude from their workflows.But first, the online prediction…
Marketplace TechIran’s cyberwar on American banks
As the war in the Middle East intensifies, one risk facing American banks is the possibility of cyber attacks by hackers linked to Iran. There is some…
Marketplace TechBrands are racing to show up in AI search
You've probably heard of search engine optimization, or SEO. That's what you need to do to get your shoe brand or your coffee shop or your public radio show…
Marketplace TechDigital archiving and the global memory shortage
As tech companies rush to build data centers to power their AI models, they're eating up power, money, and memory. Specifically, memory chips. The research…
Marketplace TechHow government uses "surveillance as a service" to collect data
We create digital breadcrumbs all the time — when we buy something online, when we post on social media, and even when we look up directions on the internet…
Marketplace TechBytes: Week in Review - Anthropic and the Pentagon face off, OpenAI teams up with consulting firms and Mac Mini moves to the U.S.
This week, OpenAI turns to consultants to get more companies to integrate AI coworkers.Plus, Apple will be making its Mac Mini in Texas.But first, U.S. Defense…