Best Meta Bytes Podcasts (2025)

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Bytes: Week in Review — Apple unveils iPhone Air, researchers allege Meta suppressed child online safety research, and Waymo gets competition 12:37

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15d ago12:37

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.By Marketplace

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Bytes: Week in Review - Big Tech/small tech divide over $100K visa fee 11:37

11h ago11:37

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 comm…

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Car dealerships face new barriers to EV tax credits 7:32

1d ago7:32

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 handl…

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AI cyberattacks pose special risks for small and medium businesses 8:47

42m ago8:47

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.By Marketplace

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A golden opportunity for tech defense firms 9:14

23h ago9:14

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. T…

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She fell in love with an AI chatbot. Now, she’s a ‘cyberspace widow.’ 4:04

5d ago4:04

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…

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Bytes: Week in Review — ChatGPT vs. Claude, Nvidia in the hot seat, and Hollywood’s latest AI lawsuit 12:40

7d ago12:40

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.By Marketplace

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The rise of the pro-AI PAC 7:35

6d ago7:35

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…

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What does ownership mean in the digital age? 10:30

7d ago10:30

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 Aar…

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Is Google honest about the environmental impacts of Gemini? 7:29

10d ago7:29

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.…

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Can customs tech really simplify the import-export process? 5:14

11d ago5:14

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.…

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Bipartisan bill would help parents to monitor kids' social media for harmful activity 5:45

15d ago5:45

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…

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The latest iPad update comes with laptop functionality 8:20

17d ago8:20

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 …

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Using AI to simplify criminal record expungement 3:56

16d ago3:56

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.…

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The Great AI Jobs Debate 8:23

16d ago8:23

8:23

Donna and Yakov discuss the impact of AI on employment trends, highlighting concerns about job displacement, particularly among young workers. Research offers conflicting findings, with one study noting minor differences in unemployment rates and another reporting significant declines for young workers in AI-exposed roles. Emphasizing adaptability,…

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Have video games become unaffordable? 5:02

17d ago5:02

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.…

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Bytes: Week in Review — Google antitrust verdict, Trump's crypto stake, and AI angst 11:11

22d ago11:11

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 …

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Police departments quietly disable AI-generated report safeguards 9:43

23d ago9:43

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. T…

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Can you buy wins in sports or the AI talent wars? 5:14

24d ago5:14

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…

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Is grieving with AI a healthy way to cope? 9:04

25d ago9:04

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…

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"Organs on a chip" help researchers better understand diseases like endometriosis 9:05

24d ago9:05

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.By Marketplace

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Bytes: Week in Review – Spotify is sliding into our DMs 9:59

29d ago9:59

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 …

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U.S. officials pressure EU regulators to soften tech regulations 8:52

30d ago8:52

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 co…

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Automated application systems add insult to injury in a tough job market 5:16

1M ago5:16

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 m…

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Denmark to end 400 years of letter delivery service 5:19

30d ago5:19

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…

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Meta’s AI Talent War and Its Implications 13:34

1M ago13:34

13:34

Tech companies are fiercely competing for AI talent, with Meta offering unprecedented compensation, such as $1.5 billion over six years, to AI researchers. Despite high salaries, cultural issues persist, with Meta’s retention rates lagging. The industry is focusing on acquiring talent rather than developing it, risking long-term sustainability. Reg…

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Workers aren't getting what they want from AI 9:50

1M ago9:50

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 workp…

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Bytes: Week in Review: The White House joins TikTok 9:59

1M ago9:59

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 …

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New tools make it harder for AI to train off copyrighted music 5:44

1M ago5:44

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 b…

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AI-powered wearables raise privacy concerns 10:13

1M ago10:13

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.By Marketplace

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China tells businesses to embrace AI. Where does that leave humans? 4:10

1M ago4:10

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.By Marketplace

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80 Hours a Week is Back 18:00

1M ago18:00

18:00

Silicon Valley is experiencing a dramatic shift towards extreme work cultures in AI startups, echoing China's banned "996" culture. Companies demand 80-hour weeks, risking employee burnout for the AGI race, promising high rewards. This culture excludes many, jeopardizing long-term innovation and societal wellbeing. Sustainable practices may offer c…

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What happens to esports athletes when they retire? 4:47

1M ago4:47

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.…

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Bytes: Week in Review — Nvidia and AMD's new chip deal with President Trump 9:09

1M ago9:09

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 ligh…

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Work weeks are getting more intense for AI startups 5:13

1M ago5:13

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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AI in local government agencies may mean more work for administrators 6:39

1M ago6:39

6:39

Implementing AI in government agencies — where the public goes for things like food stamps and unemployment or disability benefits — could come with tradeoffs, according to a recent report by the Roosevelt Institute. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino sat down with Samantha Shorey, who authored that report on AI and public administration.…

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Travelers aren't big fans of TSA's facial recognition program, report finds 8:38

2M ago8:38

8:38

In recent years, the Transportation Security Administration has been piloting facial recognition at security checkpoints. But opting out of getting scanned can be complicated, according to a recent report from the non-profit Algorithmic Justice League. Joy Buolamwini is president of the organization and co-authored that report.…

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Data centers are causing problems for their neighbors 5:04

2M ago5:04

5:04

U.S.-based data centers are expanding at a fast pace, thanks largely to the boom in generative artificial intelligence software and cloud computing. But they’re also reportedly causing environmental issues and other problems for their neighbors. The BBC’s Michelle Fleury reports from Georgia on how the boom in data centers is raising environmental …

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Bytes: Week in Review – Apple adds billions more to U.S. investments, OpenAI embraces openness, and Google restructures DEI funding 10:13

2M ago10:13

10:13

OpenAI’s new open-weight models are designed to run on a local computer and can be fine tuned by users. A Tech Transparency Project report shows Google dropped more than 50 DEI-related groups from its funding list. Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the company’s investment to build up its supply chain in the domestically. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Ca…

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The uncertain future of consumer data control 7:01

2M ago7:01

7:01

Section 1033 of the Dodd Frank Act was finalized at the end of the Biden administration and would require banks to give consumers free access and control of their personal banking data. The rule had met legal pushback from the bank industry and the CFPB under the Trump administration planned to scrap it. But last week, the bureau said it will inste…

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Email my heart: USPS falls behind digital communication 3:56

2M ago3:56

3:56

Marketplace’s Alice Wilder has been waiting for a love letter from her boyfriend to arrive at her home since March. But it’s not just her — years of financial troubles and political turmoil mean that those still sending letters are experiencing longer delivery times. Today, Wilder explores how email has eaten into USPS’ letter traffic since 2008 an…

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How much input do employees have in workplace tech adoption? 7:23

2M ago7:23

7:23

A new national study from groups including Gallup and the non-profit Jobs for the Future found that relatively few employees have any influence over how new technology is adopted in the workplace. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Molly Blankenship, director of strategy and impact at Jobs for the Future, about what that means for emplo…

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Seattle's great robotaxi experiment 4:15

2M ago4:15

4:15

As autonomous vehicles become more common, cities are grappling with how to keep robotaxis from interfering with emergency response efforts. Julia Pickar reports on how Seattle is trying to fix this problem.By Marketplace

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Bytes: Week in Review — Tea app data breach, chip exports to China and YouTube rolls out age estimation tech 10:03

2M ago10:03

10:03

The Tea app is a place for women to share red or green flags about men, but it recently suffered a major data breach. Plus, why some members of Congress are protesting a deal with China to allow Nvidia to sell its H20 chips to the country. And YouTube is rolling out new age estimation technology to protect younger users. Marketplace’s Meghan McCart…

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AI's role in human productivity and prosperity 5:43

2M ago5:43

5:43

Simon Johnson, Nobel-winning economist, joined Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino to explain his current thinking about AI and inequality. He says the tech could bring productivity gains, but they might not benefit everyone.By Marketplace

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Small tweaks to AI prompts can have significant impacts on output 7:30

2M ago7:30

7:30

Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino speaks to Sayash Kapoor, a PhD candidate at Princeton and co-author of “AI Snake Oil." He says small tweaks to AI chatbots can often have big, unpredictable effects.By Marketplace

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Apps that match truckers and loads are changing freight transport 4:07

2M ago4:07

4:07

In Canada, road freight is part of the backbone of the economy — historically moving about four-fifths of all goods across the country, with demand growing. But trucking is changing, with digital freight-matching platforms reshaping how drivers find work and how goods get delivered. The BBC’s Sam Gruet reports.…

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The growing market for cool wearables to help beat the heat 6:07

2M ago6:07

6:07

Temperatures this summer have been hotter than usual, a trend we have come to expect with climate change as records are continually surpassed. While many of us can ride out extreme heat in the comfort of air conditioned interior spaces, outdoor workers don’t have that option and must contend with the risks of serious injury which can be acute and l…

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Bytes: Week in Review — Trump's new AI executive orders, Google seeks licensing deals with news publishers, and NASA employees dissent against budget cuts 12:29

2M ago12:29

12:29

NASA employees protest budget cuts, Google reportedly eyes licensing deals with 20 national news organizations, and President Donald Trump signed three executive orders on AI this week. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams is joined by Jewel Burks Solomon, managing partner at venture firm Collab Capital, to break down these stories.…

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Defense billions flow into drone tech 4:02

2M ago4:02

4:02

This story was produced by our colleagues at the BBC. High-flying and high-tech, the very latest in drone technology took to the skies over an airfield near the Danish city of Odense. At the International Drone Show, 50 exhibitors showed off their wares. And because more money is flowing into military budgets, the emphasis was on defense. Danish co…