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Hosted by Molly Wood, “Marketplace Tech” demystifies the digital economy. The daily show uncovers how tech influences our lives in unexpected ways and provides context for listeners who care about the impact of tech, business and the digital world.

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    • Oct 10, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 9m AVG DURATION
    • 1,622 EPISODES

    4.5 from 1,193 ratings Listeners of Marketplace Tech that love the show mention: molly wood, john moe, marketplace tech, ben johnson, molly does a great, radio segment, thank you molly, apm, enjoying the new, molly's, observation, tense, short format, tech news, great tech, lizzie, disability, tech world, silicon valley, hooray.


    Ivy Insights

    The Marketplace Tech podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in staying up to date with the latest news and developments in the world of technology. Hosted by the talented Molly Wood, this podcast offers timely and insightful analysis of complex tech issues. With its informative content and engaging format, it has become an essential part of many listeners' daily routines.

    One of the best aspects of this podcast is Molly Wood's skill as a journalist and interviewer. She has a knack for breaking down complex tech topics into understandable terms, making it accessible to listeners with varying levels of technical knowledge. Her ability to ask insightful questions and draw out interesting perspectives from her guests adds depth and richness to each episode.

    Another great aspect of the Marketplace Tech podcast is its focus on important issues and trends in the tech industry. From covering big companies like Google and Amazon to exploring emerging technologies like AI and blockchain, this podcast provides a comprehensive overview of the tech landscape. It delves beyond surface-level news to provide context and analysis that helps listeners understand the larger implications of these developments.

    While there are many positive aspects to this podcast, one potential drawback is that some stories may overlap with regular episodes of Marketplace, resulting in repeated content for dedicated listeners. While it's understandable that some topics may be relevant across both shows, separating them more completely could enhance the overall listening experience.

    In conclusion, The Marketplace Tech podcast with Molly Wood is a fantastic source of information and analysis for tech enthusiasts. Molly's expertise, engaging interview style, and focus on important tech issues make this podcast a must-listen for anyone looking to stay informed about the rapidly evolving world of technology. Whether you're a seasoned tech professional or just someone interested in understanding how technology impacts our lives, this podcast offers valuable insights that will keep you engaged and informed.



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    Latest episodes from Marketplace Tech

    Bytes: Week in Review - OpenAI's new deal with AMD raises more concerns of AI bubble

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2025 10:27


    The ongoing government shutdown has caused a lapse in the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act,a law that's key to protecting the nation against major cyberattacks. Plus, OpenAI this week made a huge investment in chipmaker AMD, the latest in a round of blockbuster deals. And Google said it will be updating its smart home devices with its advanced artificial intelligence, Gemini. Marketplace's Nova Safo spoke with Maria Curi, tech policy reporter at Axios, about all these headlines on this week's Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review.

    Why cybersecurity training isn't enough to stop phishing hacks

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2025 6:20


    A recent study of nearly 20,000 University of California, San Diego Health workers found cybersecurity training reduced the likelihood of successful phising attacks by just 2%. Marketplace's Nova Safo spoke with Ariana Mirian, senior researcher at the cybersecurity firm Censys and co-author of the study, who explained that many workers are just not taking those training programs seriously enough.

    AI "workslop" is hurting coworker dynamics

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2025 6:42


    AI slop is pointless content shared online like fake images and videos. A new study in the Harvard Business Review wants us to consider a variant: “workslop,” or AI-generated reports, emails and more that are sloppily crafted.The authors of the study say 40% of workers they surveyed have encountered workslop. And that's costing time and money. Marketplace's Nova Safo spoke with social psychologist and vice president of BetterUp Labs Kate Niederhoffer, who co-authored the study. She said workslop harms interpersonal work relationships, such as when one employee receives an AI written report from another.

    Online job scams are a growing problem

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2025 4:57


    The number of scams involving job postings and offers nearly tripled between 2020 and 2024, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The change translates to more than $500 million in reported losses. These scams have proliferated on legitimate job boards and you might have even received some via email or text message — fake recruiters reach out with “enticing” offers which are too good to be true. Marketplace's Nova Safo spoke with Mark Anthony Dyson, author of the Job Scam Report newsletter, about how to spot scams.

    Export controls on TikTok's algorithm are unique but not unprecedented

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2025 4:46


    Algorithms, which are just sets of instructions expressed in code, are harder to restrict than physical goods. But, as Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino reports, governments — including the U.S. — have long tried to prevent their export.

    Bytes: Week in Review - California's new sweeping AI law

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2025 13:58


    California passed a sweeping law setting up new AI safety rules this week. Meanwhile, YouTube settled a lawsuit brought by President Trump over account suspensions in the wake of the January 6 capitol riot. And an AI-generated “actor” stirred up controversy in Hollywood and pretty much everywhere else. Marketplace's Nova Safo spoke with Natasha Mascarenhas, reporter at The Information, to learn more about all these stories on this week's Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review.

    VCs are investing in LA's defense tech startups

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2025 8:41


    So far this year, LA defense tech companies have raised $4 billion in funding — more than double last year's haul, according to Los Angeles Times tech reporter Queenie Wong. She told Marketplace's Nova Safo that venture capital firms are increasingly embracing military-focused tech.

    Could AI ever be used safely for mental health support?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2025 10:54


    The role of artificial intelligence in mental health care is an unsettled issue. States including Illinois, Utah, and Nevada limit or ban the use of AI for therapy. And researchers say such conversations can sometimes veer off course and even be dangerous. Marketplace's Nova Safo spoke with Jenna Glover, chief clinical officer at the mental health care platform Headspace, which launched an AI assistant, Ebb, last year.

    Colleges turn to video essays to counter AI-written submissions

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2025 10:54


    Colleges and universities are dealing with a growing problem of college admission essays being written by artificial intelligence. Rather than try to figure out which essays are AI-generated, some schools are turning to an alternative approach: Have students submit a video instead. Marketplace's Nova Safo spoke with Anne Kim, senior editor at Washington Monthly magazine who recently wrote about this new strategy that's gaining steam in higher education.

    Can an AI chatbot change your political beliefs?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2025 6:24


    Researchers at several universities tested how successful artificial intelligence can be at political persuasion, and found some AI chatbots were 40-50% more successful than a static message at getting people to change their views. And those views often stayed changed weeks later.Marketplace's Nova Safo spoke with David Rand, one of the researchers involved in the study who's also a professor of information science and marketing management at Cornell University.

    Bytes: Week in Review - Big Tech/small tech divide over $100K visa fee

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 11:37


    On this week's Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review, Nova Safo speaks with Axios tech policy reporter Maria Curi about the details and lingering unknowns of President Donald Trump's new, $100,000 fee on incoming H-1B visas, how secret service authorities dismantled a network of more than 100,000 SIM cards that could have been used to disrupt communications on a massive scale and why French fans of the video game franchise “Tomb Raider” were up in arms over an AI-generated voice.

    Car dealerships face new barriers to EV tax credits

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2025 7:32


    The EV tax credit expires September 30, and Americans have been rushing to take advantage before the deadline. But according to reporting from Marketplace's Henry Epp, many dealerships are facing new friction when processing tax credits with the IRS.Marketplace's Nova Safo spoke with Epp about the new IRS requirements and how dealerships are handling the changes.

    AI cyberattacks pose special risks for small and medium businesses

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2025 8:47


    Tony Pietrocola, president of the cybersecurity company AgileBlue, says cybercriminals are using artifical intelligence to generate deepfake video and audio calls, making the cyber threats more sophisticated and harder to catch.

    A golden opportunity for tech defense firms

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2025 9:14


    There's a race going on among tech firms — big and small — to join in the construction of what President Trump has dubbed the Golden Dome, a missile defense system similar to Israel's Iron Dome. Tens of billions of dollars in military contracts are at stake. In fact, the total cost might be in the trillions and the project could stretch a decade. The technology and scale needed to make this all happen is, so far, largely unproven. And a whole host of tech firms are trying to show that they can help with the very complex undertaking. Marketplace's Nova Safo spoke with Sheera Frenkel, reporter at the New York Times, about some of the tech that would make this whole system work.

    She fell in love with an AI chatbot. Now, she's a ‘cyberspace widow.'

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2025 4:04


    Here's cautionary tale for you, out of China, about a young woman who says she fell in love with an artificial intelligence chatbot. There have been well-publicized instances of people seeking companionship from chatbots and it leading to tragedy. In this instance, it caused heartbreak. The story involves the Chinese AI firm Deepseek which, earlier this year, launched a chatbot that's almost as good as its American rivals. Soon after the launch, a young woman began a conversation with that chatbot. Marketplace's China correspondent Jennifer Pak takes the story from there.

    Bytes: Week in Review — ChatGPT vs. Claude, Nvidia in the hot seat, and Hollywood's latest AI lawsuit

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2025 12:40


    Anita Ramaswamy, columnist at The Information, joins Marketplace's Nova Safo to break down all of these headlines. This episode was produced by Jesús Alvarado.

    The rise of the pro-AI PAC

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2025 7:35


    During the 2024 election, the cryptocurrency industry, including political action committees, accounted for nearly half of all of the corporate money going into the election, according to the watchdog group Public Citizen. That spending helped make Congress and the Trump administration more friendly to the crypto industry. Now, in the run-up to the midterms, the AI industry wants to replicate the crypto sector's success. AI companies are amassing millions of dollars to help candidates that favor light regulation over AI. Marketplace's Nova Safo spoke with Amrith Ramkumar, a reporter at the Wall Street Journal who recently wrote about this new pro-AI PAC network.

    What does ownership mean in the digital age?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2025 10:30


    There's a new class action lawsuit against Amazon Prime Video that's once again elevating the question of ownership in the digital age: Who actually owns a movie, a song, a video game?Buy a physical copy, like a CD or DVD, and the answer is obvious. But buy a digital copy, and the answer gets very complicated. Marketplace's Nova Safo spoke with Aaron Perzanowski, a law professor at the University of Michigan and author of the book “The End of Ownership: Personal Property in the Digital Economy,” to learn about the current state of digital ownership.

    Is Google honest about the environmental impacts of Gemini?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2025 7:29


    A recent report put out by the tech giant claims its AI model consumes very little electricity and water for a single query. Emma Strubell, an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon's Language Technologies Institute, says that might not tell the whole story. This episode was produced by Jesús Alvarado.

    Can customs tech really simplify the import-export process?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2025 5:14


    Borders may be invisible to most shoppers, but for businesses, they often mean delays, extra costs, and reams of paperwork. And amid Trump's trade war, global trade is now faster and more complex than ever. Those new pressures have sparked a boom in new "customs tech" companies promising to speed things up. The BBC's Leanna Byrne reports.

    Bytes: Week in Review — Apple unveils iPhone Air, researchers allege Meta suppressed child online safety research, and Waymo gets competition

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2025 12:37


    Marketplace's Nova Safo spoke with Joanna Stern, senior personal technology columnist at the Wall Street Journal, to discuss all these topics and more. This episode was produced by Jesús Alvarado.

    Bipartisan bill would help parents to monitor kids' social media for harmful activity

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2025 5:45


    It's challenging for parents to get access to their kids' data to look out for online harms. In Congress, there's a bipartisan push to change that with a bill called Sammy's Law, named after a teen who died of fentanyl poisoning in 2021. He purchased drugs on social media.Marketplace's Nova Safo spoke with Will Oremus, tech news analysis writer at The Washington Post, who's been monitoring the bill's progress.

    The latest iPad update comes with laptop functionality

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2025 8:20


    Fifteen years ago, then-CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad. His vision was for a lean-back device used mostly to consume content. Now, with the latest iPadOS 26, the device is evolving into something different — and perhaps something more useful. Craig Grannell got early access to iPadOS 26 and wrote about the system's laptop-like qualities in Wired magazine.

    Using AI to simplify criminal record expungement

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2025 3:56


    A lot of people are eligible to have their criminal records expunged. And there are tens of millions of such files out there for things like misdemeanors, low-level felonies such as drug offenses and even just arrests. LegalEase, a justice-tech startup is streamlining the process through the use of artificial intelligence.

    Have video games become unaffordable?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2025 5:02


    Video gaming can be an expensive hobby. Nintendo's latest Mario Kart game, Mario Kart World, released in June, costs $80, and it's widely expected that Grand Theft Audio VI, coming out next year, will top $100. So are games becoming unaffordable … or do gamers not know how good they've got it? The BBC's Will Chalk breaks it down.

    Bytes: Week in Review — Google antitrust verdict, Trump's crypto stake, and AI angst

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2025 11:11


    The Trump family took their digital token public this week. Plus, artificial intelligence is generating angst in Silicon Valley.But first, Google's antitrust case over its search business ended this week with a punishment far short of what the government sought. Google could have been forced to sell off its Chrome browser or stop paying Apple and others to make it the default search engine. Instead, a federal judge said all the company has to do is share some of its search data with rivals.Marketplace's Nova Safo spoke with Natasha Mascarenhas, a reporter at The Information, to discuss all of this and more.

    Police departments quietly disable AI-generated report safeguards

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2025 9:43


    Axon, a company that makes policing equipment, developed new software called Draft One that takes recordings from police cameras and uses artificial intelligence to summarize them into incident reports. Many police departments trying out the tool are not disclosing that they're using AI to write reports, according to a Mother Jones investigation. That potentially leaves both prosecutors and defense attorneys in the blind — despite safeguards Axon built into its software to prevent this very scenario, and to remove errors or AI hallucinations. Marketplace's Nova Safo spoke with investigative journalist Tekendra Parmar who reported the story for Mother Jones.

    Can you buy wins in sports or the AI talent wars?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2025 5:14


    Big Tech companies have been in an all-out bidding war to capture top AI researchers and engineers. Companies like Meta have reportedly been offering compensation packages in the hundreds of millions of dollars. They're the kind of eye-watering sums you usually only hear about in pro sports. Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino explores whether this strategy of collecting expensive superstars will pay off for Big Tech firms looking to win the AI race.

    Is grieving with AI a healthy way to cope?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2025 9:04


    More and more people are using generative AI to “resurrect” deceased loved ones. There are tools that can turn an old photograph into a short animation or create entire "AI clones" trained on old audio, video or written diaries. These technological advancements are taking memorializing the dead to a whole new level, but is it healthy? Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino spoke to psychologist Elaine Kasket, who specializes in mental health issues and technology, for some answers.

    "Organs on a chip" help researchers better understand diseases like endometriosis

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2025 9:05


    Endometriosis is a condition in which the tissue that typically lines the uterus grows outside of it instead, often causing intense pain and infertility. MIT researchers are studying that living tissue on plastic chips in the lab, with bioengineer Linda Griffith leading the effort.

    Bytes: Week in Review – Spotify is sliding into our DMs

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2025 9:59


    Chipmaker NVIDIA reported quarterly earnings this week and they were strong - better than expected, even. NVIDIA's sales rose last quarter by over 50% though its data center business was a little softer than expected. So why did share prices fall? Plus, OpenAI says it's updating ChatGPT to better handle mental distress. And Spotify is sliding into our DMs. The music streamer has launched a messaging system on its platform. Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Jewel Burks Solomon, managing partner at Collab Capital, about all these headlines for this week's Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review.

    U.S. officials pressure EU regulators to soften tech regulations

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2025 8:52


    President Donald Trump called out countries trying to regulate U.S. tech companies earlier this week, warning they could face new tariffs. The White House has struck a provisional trade deal with the European Union, but tensions remain over the bloc's sweeping tech laws, like the Digital Services Act, which requires platforms to moderate illegal content and disinformation.

    Automated application systems add insult to injury in a tough job market

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2025 5:16


    Job growth in the economy has slowed, and the ranks of the long-term unemployed are growing. It makes the indignities of the modern hiring process even more frustrating for those in the market. Job-seekers are navigating a gauntlet of automated application systems set up to whittle down the hundreds — sometimes thousands — of applicants. Only for many to never hear from a human. Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino has more from the front lines of algorithmic application hell. 

    Denmark to end 400 years of letter delivery service

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2025 5:19


    Across Europe, postal services are grappling with declining letter volumes, amid a rise in digitalization. In Demark, where the decline has been particularly steep, the publicly-owned national postal service, PostNord, is bringing an end to 400 years of letter deliveries, to focus solely on parcels from 2026. And while a private firm will step into the gap, letters are a shrinking business. So as digitalization grows, do letters have a future? The BBC's Adrienne Murray reports from the Danish capital with more details.

    Workers aren't getting what they want from AI

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2025 9:50


    A survey of about 1,500 workers showed AI has been a useful tool for repetitive work. But some respondents want more — sometimes, more than the technology is capable of.In this episode, Marketplace's Meghan Mccarty Carino speaks with Stanford economist Erik Brynjolfsson about the disconnect between workers' wants and AI's current role in the workplace.

    Bytes: Week in Review: The White House joins TikTok

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2025 9:59


    On this week's “Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review,” Meta is under scrutiny on Capitol Hill after an investigation revealed troubling policies about how the company's chatbots can interact with children. Plus, the White House has officially joined TikTok, despite a looming deadline next month in the on-again-off-again effort to force the app's Chinese owners to divest or face a nationwide ban. But first, the Trump Administration itself is looking to claim a 10% equity stake in a different tech company - the chipmaker Intel. That stake would be in exchange for the grant money it was promised under the Biden Administration's CHIPS act. Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Maria Curi, tech policy reporter at Axios, to learn more.

    New tools make it harder for AI to train off copyrighted music

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2025 5:44


    Last month, a band called The Velvet Sundown surged in popularity on Spotify with its 70s inflected rock. Yeah, it was all generated by AI. Synthetic music is getting better and better, leaving a lot of human artists concerned that their original work could be used to feed the machines that might take their jobs. Now some researchers are fighting back with a tool called “MusicShield.”

    AI-powered wearables raise privacy concerns

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2025 10:13


    Wearables aren't just for tracking steps or monitoring heart rates anymore. In AI-crazed Silicon Valley, a new crop of tech-enabled accessories has taken hold… and they could be listening to everything we say.

    China tells businesses to embrace AI. Where does that leave humans?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2025 4:10


    Marketplace's Jennifer Pak recently attended the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. She asked Chinese AI firms what they think about the humans who might lose jobs to their AI products.

    What happens to esports athletes when they retire?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2025 4:47


    Esports is a multi-billion dollar industry, with players making millions by getting good at video games. But while traditional athletes, usually, retire into coaching, managing or being a pundit, what does an esports player do when they've hung up their controller? The BBC's Will Chalk files this report from the U.K.

    Bytes: Week in Review — Nvidia and AMD's new chip deal with President Trump

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2025 9:09


    On today's Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review, Perplexity AI has offered $34.5 billion to buy Alphabet's Chrome browser, despite the fact the tech giant hasn't said it's for sale. Plus, the reviews are in for OpenAI's highly anticipated GPT-5 model and they're kinda…mixed. But first, President Trump gave chipmakers Nvidia and AMD the green light to sell their less powerful semiconductors in China, in exchange for a 15% cut of sales revenue. The deal is already raising eyebrows and legal questions.

    Work weeks are getting more intense for AI startups

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2025 5:13


    China's labor market is known for being intense, especially in the tech sector. For years high profile tech workers have embraced the “996” schedule – that's 9am to 9pm six days a week.And recently, Silicon Valley startups have reportedly been leaning in to the “996” grind themselves. So now China is taking it up a notch.

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