Author: Marketplace

More and more companies are incorporating artificial intelligence into their workflows — from AI assistants that record and analyze meetings, to AI notetakers that keep track of what's said, to AI summaries and analyses of emails.

Workers may know this technology is being used, but some of these tools, which record and monitor, can still catch them off guard. Still, Josh Bersin, an human resources industry analyst and consultant, says the productivity gains from these tools mean many employers are embracing them.

Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes had him walk her through what he’s seeing businesses try and what they're using at his company — including one HR tool that his company makes and sells called Galileo.

Crude oil prices have risen about $30 a barrel in the three weeks since the U.S. and Israel launched a war in Iran. At some point, U.S. consumers will really feel the war in their wallets. Turns out, it’s hard to say when. Also in this episode, more economic fallout from the war: The Fed and other central banks will likely hold rates steady this week amid global uncertainty, and Texas farmers brace for higher prices while Texas oil stands to rake in profits.

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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.

Is Europe's reliance on U.S. tech a vulnerability? With geopolitical uncertainties growing under the second Trump administration, governments and institutions abroad seem to think so. The International Criminal Court announced that it's ditching Microsoft, and government employees in France will use an open-source alternative to Zoom. Today, we dig into "digital sovereignty." Also on the show: new homeowners turn to buy now, pay later to deal with expenses, and we'll preview the Fed's interest rate meeting this week.

TSA agents and air traffic controllers are missing their first full month of paychecks as a result of the partial government shutdown. In response, CEOs of major U.S. airlines have written an open letter urging Congress to fund the Department of Homeland Security and end the shutdown, which has dragged on as Democrats demand reforms to immigration enforcement practices. Plus, how might emerging technologies like AI amplify global threats, such as nuclear war?

Here at Marketplace, we often report on a monthly economic indicator from the University of Michigan called the consumer sentiment index. It basically looks how people are feeling about the economy. Now, a team of academics at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School have used that index as a model to create something similar though much more niche: how people feel about cryptocurrency. It's called the Consumer Cryptocurrency Confidence Index, a monthly survey now in its third year. Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes spoke with Wharton marketing professor Dave Reibstein, one of the creators of the index, about what he hopes to accomplish with it.

After the Supreme Court overturned many of President Trump’s tariffs, his administration implemented new import taxes through a different legal avenue. But those are only temporary. Next up in the White House's game plan to claw those tariffs back? Unfair trade practice probes into dozens of countries — including several U.S. allies. Also in this episode: SNAP recipients sue the USDA over restrictive policies, a federal agency considers regulating prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket, and e-retailers hawk counterfeit skincare products.

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.

On today’s show, we’re preparing for the Oscars by checking in on the state of the film industry. Marketplace’s Amy Scott sits down with Wall Street Journal entertainment reporter Ben Fritz to discuss what slumping ticket sales means for the future of movies, why the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger has Hollywood workers worried, and what it would take for the industry to make a comeback. Plus, movie watchers weigh in: subtitles on or off?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• A look at how the Oscar best picture nominees have fared at the box office from AP News
• "Disney’s Surprise Box-Office Champion is ‘Zootopia 2,’ Thanks to China" from The Wall Street Journal 
• "The Movie Theater Comeback That Wasn’t: Why 2025 Was Such a Dud for Struggling Cinemas" from Variety 
• "Teamsters Call on DOJ to Stop Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger: “We’ve Seen What Happens When Corporations Consolidate Power'" from The Hollywood Reporter
• "Paramount Wins, Everybody Loses" from Vulture 
• "Hollywood Jobs Are Disappearing" from “The Journal” 
• Amy’s documentary film: ”Saving Etting Street”

We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

The Senate passed a bipartisan bill yesterday that aims to take on housing affordability by increasing the housing supply and cutting red tape. But it has a tough road ahead in the House and possibly the White House. This morning, we'll dig in. Also on the show: GDP growth was revised down to just 0.7%. Plus, China's latest five-year plan aims to transform the country into a tech-driven global power, while boosting domestic demand.

Some Christians observe the weeks of Lent leading up to Easter by not eating meat on Fridays. That means that we’re in the thick of fish fry season. Thing is, tariffs have raised the price of seafood. We head to one local fish fry near Akron, Ohio, to learn about the impact. But first, the war in the Middle East is threatening critical water desalination plants, which many Gulf countries rely on to make seawater potable.

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 at Amazon.

Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes spoke with Jewel Burks Solomon, managing partner at Collab Capital, about all these headlines for this week’s “Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”