POPULARITY
On today's episode, Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino walks us through how AI is making it harder to break into the cybersecurity sector.
On today's episode, Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino walks us through how AI is making it harder to break into the cybersecurity sector.
The White House is not giving up its push to preempt states from passing their own AI laws, something it tried and failed to accomplish last year. We'll get into it on today's “Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review.” Plus it looks like federal regulators might actually put some rules on prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket. And Siri AI is coming to an Apple device near you later this year, as long as you're not in Europe. But first, back to that renewed attempt to pass federal guidelines and preempt state-level AI laws. The Trump administration tried and failed to get a similar provision into a defense spending bill last year, then signed an executive order that hasn't really slowed states down much. So what's different about this newest push? Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Maria Curi, tech policy reporter at Axios, to learn more. Check out our YouTube page to watch more episodes of “Tech Bytes.”
The White House is not giving up its push to preempt states from passing their own AI laws, something it tried and failed to accomplish last year. We'll get into it on today's “Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review.” Plus it looks like federal regulators might actually put some rules on prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket. And Siri AI is coming to an Apple device near you later this year, as long as you're not in Europe. But first, back to that renewed attempt to pass federal guidelines and preempt state-level AI laws. The Trump administration tried and failed to get a similar provision into a defense spending bill last year, then signed an executive order that hasn't really slowed states down much. So what's different about this newest push? Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Maria Curi, tech policy reporter at Axios, to learn more. Check out our YouTube page to watch more episodes of “Tech Bytes.”
SpaceX is targeting a $1.77 trillion valuation, but some analysts think it's worth half that. Plus, Florida sues OpenAI — the first state to take legal action against an AI company. But first, President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week, similar to the one he called off last month, asking AI companies to give the government a first look at advanced models that could have national security implications. It comes after models like Anthropic's Mythos have raised cybersecurity concerns for reportedly being too good at finding and exploiting software vulnerabilities.Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Liz Lopatto, senior reporter at The Verge, to learn more.Everything we talked about:“PROMOTING ADVANCED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INNOVATION AND SECURITY” from the White House“Trump Signs Executive Order Seeking Oversight of A.I. Models” from The New York Times“SpaceX: What Investors Need to Know About Its Enormous Upcoming IPO” from Morningstar“SpaceX is worth less than half of its $1.75 trillion IPO target, Morningstar says” from CNBC“Attorney General James Uthmeier Files First-in-the-Nation State-Led Lawsuit Against OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman for Deceptive Practices and Harms to Floridians” from Florida's Attorney General“OpenAI Sued by Florida's Attorney General Over AI Harms” from The Wall Street Journal
SpaceX is targeting a $1.77 trillion valuation, but some analysts think it's worth half that. Plus, Florida sues OpenAI — the first state to take legal action against an AI company. But first, President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week, similar to the one he called off last month, asking AI companies to give the government a first look at advanced models that could have national security implications. It comes after models like Anthropic's Mythos have raised cybersecurity concerns for reportedly being too good at finding and exploiting software vulnerabilities.Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Liz Lopatto, senior reporter at The Verge, to learn more.Everything we talked about:“PROMOTING ADVANCED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INNOVATION AND SECURITY” from the White House“Trump Signs Executive Order Seeking Oversight of A.I. Models” from The New York Times“SpaceX: What Investors Need to Know About Its Enormous Upcoming IPO” from Morningstar“SpaceX is worth less than half of its $1.75 trillion IPO target, Morningstar says” from CNBC“Attorney General James Uthmeier Files First-in-the-Nation State-Led Lawsuit Against OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman for Deceptive Practices and Harms to Floridians” from Florida's Attorney General“OpenAI Sued by Florida's Attorney General Over AI Harms” from The Wall Street Journal
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. Anthropic shared a preview version with a select group to help patch the holes that Mythos finds.But the prospect of a super-hacker AI system is still sending some business leaders into a panic. Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino reports.
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. Anthropic shared a preview version with a select group to help patch the holes that Mythos finds.But the prospect of a super-hacker AI system is still sending some business leaders into a panic. Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino reports.
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 might think having an army of AI minions could free up some time, maybe make work more chill. But, you'd be wrong, as Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino reports.
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 might think having an army of AI minions could free up some time, maybe make work more chill. But, you'd be wrong, as Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino reports.
A series of suspiciously well-timed Iran war bets placed on Polymarket have revived concerns about insider trading on prediction markets. But enforcement is something of a gray area. Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino joins Kimberly to explain the relatively recent history of insider trading laws at the CFTC and what it could mean for prediction market platforms. Plus, the debate over whether insider trading on these markets is actually a good thing.
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 & Technology suggests a large majority are also concerned about how the federal government uses their data.Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Elizabeth Laird, director of equity in civic technology at CDT, to learn more.
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 & Technology suggests a large majority are also concerned about how the federal government uses their data.Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Elizabeth Laird, director of equity in civic technology at CDT, to learn more.
A series of suspiciously well-timed Iran war bets placed on Polymarket have revived concerns about insider trading on prediction markets. But enforcement is something of a gray area. Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino joins Kimberly to explain the relatively recent history of insider trading laws at the CFTC and what it could mean for prediction market platforms. Plus, the debate over whether insider trading on these markets is actually a good thing.
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 paper: “Thinking—Fast, Slow, and Artificial: How AI is Reshaping Human Reasoning and the Rise of Cognitive Surrender,” by Gideon Nave and Steven Shaw of the Wharton School of Business, they've deemed it a “cognitive surrender.”“Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Shaw, a postdoctoral researcher at Wharton, about their findings and the possible impacts for the future human cognition.
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 paper: “Thinking—Fast, Slow, and Artificial: How AI is Reshaping Human Reasoning and the Rise of Cognitive Surrender,” by Gideon Nave and Steven Shaw of the Wharton School of Business, they've deemed it a “cognitive surrender.”“Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Shaw, a postdoctoral researcher at Wharton, about their findings and the possible impacts for the future human cognition.
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 is trying to follow suit.But free speech advocates worry that these laws will infringe on the First Amendment rights of many kids and even adults. However, Aaron Mackey, the free speech and transparency litigation director at the nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation, says there is growing sentiment to regulate and protect children from the harms of social media. “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Mackey about how we can still protect kids and consumers without restricting free speech.
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 is trying to follow suit.But free speech advocates worry that these laws will infringe on the First Amendment rights of many kids and even adults. However, Aaron Mackey, the free speech and transparency litigation director at the nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation, says there is growing sentiment to regulate and protect children from the harms of social media. “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Mackey about how we can still protect kids and consumers without restricting free speech.
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 targeted by Iran. And California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a new AI executive order with a not-so-thinly veiled message to the Trump administration. But first, Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX reportedly took a first step towards a highly anticipated initial public offering this week. The company made a confidential filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that potentially puts it on track to go public at a more than $2 trillion valuation in June. Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Paresh Dave, senior writer at WIRED, to learn more.
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 targeted by Iran. And California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a new AI executive order with a not-so-thinly veiled message to the Trump administration. But first, Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX reportedly took a first step towards a highly anticipated initial public offering this week. The company made a confidential filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that potentially puts it on track to go public at a more than $2 trillion valuation in June. Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Paresh Dave, senior writer at WIRED, to learn more.
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, there is the global internet, and then the intranet, or National Information Network, which is controlled by the Iranian government. Right now, only the NIN is available, and Iranians have been digitally isolated from the outside world, according to Amir Rashidi, the director for digital rights and security at the Miaan Group, a human rights nonprofit.“Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Rashidi about the current status of internet connection 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, there is the global internet, and then the intranet, or National Information Network, which is controlled by the Iranian government. Right now, only the NIN is available, and Iranians have been digitally isolated from the outside world, according to Amir Rashidi, the director for digital rights and security at the Miaan Group, a human rights nonprofit.“Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Rashidi about the current status of internet connection in Iran.
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 for intentionally creating addictive products, while in New Mexico, Meta was found to have violated state law and misled consumers on child safety guardrails.The result of these two cases will ripple to the thousands of pending cases against Big Tech companies across the country and could impact future legislation. “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Eric Goldman, co-director at Santa Clara University's High Tech Law Institute, about the verdicts.
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 for intentionally creating addictive products, while in New Mexico, Meta was found to have violated state law and misled consumers on child safety guardrails.The result of these two cases will ripple to the thousands of pending cases against Big Tech companies across the country and could impact future legislation. “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Eric Goldman, co-director at Santa Clara University's High Tech Law Institute, about the verdicts.
Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino takes a look at how platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket are allowed to function in states with varying gambling restrictions, plus what the CFTC is looking at to try to rein such platforms.
Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino takes a look at how platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket are allowed to function in states with varying gambling restrictions, plus what the CFTC is looking at to try to rein such platforms.
Thanks to AI coding agents, basically anyone can program their own software without much technical knowledge. But lowering the barrier to sophisticated web design is also opening the door to more scams. Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino experienced the effects firsthand.
Thanks to AI coding agents, basically anyone can program their own software without much technical knowledge. But lowering the barrier to sophisticated web design is also opening the door to more scams. Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino experienced the effects firsthand.
You can get a pretty good workout plan from a chatbot, but the tech is also being incorporated into all kinds of existing fitness apps, from Apple's Workout Buddy, which motivates you through earbuds, to the Fitbit AI health coach, to Peloton's AI-enabled camera that tracks your form.Nicole Nguyen, personal tech columnist at The Wall Street Journal, gave some of the most popular ones a spin. She spoke with “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino about her experience.
You can get a pretty good workout plan from a chatbot, but the tech is also being incorporated into all kinds of existing fitness apps, from Apple's Workout Buddy, which motivates you through earbuds, to the Fitbit AI health coach, to Peloton's AI-enabled camera that tracks your form.Nicole Nguyen, personal tech columnist at The Wall Street Journal, gave some of the most popular ones a spin. She spoke with “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino about her experience.
Is AI a bubble? It's the trillion-dollar question in the economy. So Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino decided to look to history for some answers in this week's special episode of “Tech Bytes: Week in Review.” McCarty Carino spoke with David A. Kirsch, a historian and management professor at the University of Maryland. He's also co-author of the book "Bubbles and Crashes: The Boom and Bust of Technological Innovation." He and Brent Goldfarb looked at patterns over 150 years of technological breakthroughs, from broadcast radio to rayon and came up with a model of the conditions that most often lead to bubbles.
Is AI a bubble? It's the trillion-dollar question in the economy. So Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino decided to look to history for some answers in this week's special episode of “Tech Bytes: Week in Review.” McCarty Carino spoke with David A. Kirsch, a historian and management professor at the University of Maryland. He's also co-author of the book "Bubbles and Crashes: The Boom and Bust of Technological Innovation." He and Brent Goldfarb looked at patterns over 150 years of technological breakthroughs, from broadcast radio to rayon and came up with a model of the conditions that most often lead to bubbles.
Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino takes a tour of Redwood Material's new R&D Lab with CTO Colin Campbell. Redwood, an EV battery recycling startup, is now offering off-grid, renewable energy grids to AI data centers and it's looking to scale up its operations in this AI boom.
Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino takes a tour of Redwood Material's new R&D Lab with CTO Colin Campbell. Redwood, an EV battery recycling startup, is now offering off-grid, renewable energy grids to AI data centers and it's looking to scale up its operations in this AI boom.
Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino speaks with Paul Vixie, vice president at AWS Security and an early internet innovator, about the rapid buildout of fiber optic networks during the dot-com boom, and what happened when the bubble burst.
Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino speaks with Paul Vixie, vice president at AWS Security and an early internet innovator, about the rapid buildout of fiber optic networks during the dot-com boom, and what happened when the bubble burst.
Artificial intelligence companies raised enormous amounts of money in 2025, and made major investments in development and infrastructure. What's next? To understand more about the role AI could play in our futures, “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal and “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino visited an AI company and an AI data center in Silicon Valley. In this episode, the next phase of AI innovation won't come without obstacles.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.
529 Bryant St. in Palo Alto, California, is home to a key landmark in tech history. Now owned and operated as a data center by Equinix, the building has been a networking hub to a variety of firms, including the earliest telephone switch board operators and early internet firms like Alta Vista. Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino visited the data center to learn more.
Artificial intelligence companies raised enormous amounts of money in 2025, and made major investments in development and infrastructure. What's next? To understand more about the role AI could play in our futures, “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal and “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino visited an AI company and an AI data center in Silicon Valley. In this episode, the next phase of AI innovation won't come without obstacles.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.
529 Bryant St. in Palo Alto, California, is home to a key landmark in tech history. Now owned and operated as a data center by Equinix, the building has been a networking hub to a variety of firms, including the earliest telephone switch board operators and early internet firms like Alta Vista. Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino visited the data center to learn more.
Tech companies are pouring billions into developing the infrastructure necessary to meet the demand for artificial intelligence. But what does that infrastructure look like on the ground? Marketplace Tech's Meghan McCarty Carino joins Kimberly to share her takeaways after visiting a variety of data centers and reporting on the surge in AI investment. Plus, we'll weigh in on microdramas and AI slop during a round of Half Full/Half Empty!Here's everything we talked about today:"Inside the relentless race for AI capacity" Financial Times"Redwood Materials built record grid storage project using old EV batteries" Canary Media"Just how big is the AI investment wave?" from Reuters"YouTube says battling ‘AI slop' is a top priority" from The L.A. Times"TikTok-like microdramas are going to make billions this year, even though they kind of suck" from Tech Crunch"Apple to Revamp Siri as a Built-In iPhone, Mac Chatbot to Fend Off OpenAI" from Bloomberg "Ads Are Coming to ChatGPT. Here's How They'll Work" from WiredWe love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.
A Micron memory chip factory in upstate New York is wrangling with local groups who want legal assurances the project will benefit the local community. Plus, YouTube plans to crack down on AI slop.But first, it's shaping up to be a big year for very big initial public offerings. Elon Musk is reportedly preparing to take SpaceX public at an anticipated valuation of around $1.5 trillion. AI companies Anthropic and OpenAI are also expected to follow suit this year.Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Paresh Dave, senior writer at Wired, to discuss all these topics on this week's “Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”
Tech companies are pouring billions into developing the infrastructure necessary to meet the demand for artificial intelligence. But what does that infrastructure look like on the ground? Marketplace Tech's Meghan McCarty Carino joins Kimberly to share her takeaways after visiting a variety of data centers and reporting on the surge in AI investment. Plus, we'll weigh in on microdramas and AI slop during a round of Half Full/Half Empty!Here's everything we talked about today:"Inside the relentless race for AI capacity" Financial Times"Redwood Materials built record grid storage project using old EV batteries" Canary Media"Just how big is the AI investment wave?" from Reuters"YouTube says battling ‘AI slop' is a top priority" from The L.A. Times"TikTok-like microdramas are going to make billions this year, even though they kind of suck" from Tech Crunch"Apple to Revamp Siri as a Built-In iPhone, Mac Chatbot to Fend Off OpenAI" from Bloomberg "Ads Are Coming to ChatGPT. Here's How They'll Work" from WiredWe love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.
A Micron memory chip factory in upstate New York is wrangling with local groups who want legal assurances the project will benefit the local community. Plus, YouTube plans to crack down on AI slop.But first, it's shaping up to be a big year for very big initial public offerings. Elon Musk is reportedly preparing to take SpaceX public at an anticipated valuation of around $1.5 trillion. AI companies Anthropic and OpenAI are also expected to follow suit this year.Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Paresh Dave, senior writer at Wired, to discuss all these topics on this week's “Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”
In the era of AI, sometimes a story is really just too good to be true, even if the initial evidence suggests otherwise.And as artificially engineered content becomes mainstream, journalists need to go the extra mile to verify a story's authenticity.Casey Newton from Platformer spoke with “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino about his recent wild goose chase that ended in an AI hoax.
In the era of AI, sometimes a story is really just too good to be true, even if the initial evidence suggests otherwise.And as artificially engineered content becomes mainstream, journalists need to go the extra mile to verify a story's authenticity.Casey Newton from Platformer spoke with “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino about his recent wild goose chase that ended in an AI hoax.
Information Apocalypse Now.AI content is flooding social feeds and its getting increasingly hard to determine what is real versus what is fake. Aviv Ovadya, founder and CEO of the AI and Democracy Foundation, has been warning of this apocalypse for a decade now. “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Ovadya about the state of our information ecosystem and protecting our institutions.
Information Apocalypse Now.AI content is flooding social feeds and its getting increasingly hard to determine what is real versus what is fake. Aviv Ovadya, founder and CEO of the AI and Democracy Foundation, has been warning of this apocalypse for a decade now. “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Ovadya about the state of our information ecosystem and protecting our institutions.
In an industry known for pushing the bounds of human innovation, tech elites are now trying to push the bounds of their own bodies. The hot new biohacking trend is injectable peptides — similar to the ones found in GLP-1 medications like Ozempic. But these are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.These gray-market peptides, largely from Chinese manufacturers, are being used by tech workers and founders. Not just to lose weight, but to optimize their health and performance in all manner of ways. “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino speaks with independent journalist Jasmine Sun, who recently wrote about this for the New York Times.
In an industry known for pushing the bounds of human innovation, tech elites are now trying to push the bounds of their own bodies. The hot new biohacking trend is injectable peptides — similar to the ones found in GLP-1 medications like Ozempic. But these are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.These gray-market peptides, largely from Chinese manufacturers, are being used by tech workers and founders. Not just to lose weight, but to optimize their health and performance in all manner of ways. “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino speaks with independent journalist Jasmine Sun, who recently wrote about this for the New York Times.