Matt Levin

Senior Reporter

SHORT BIO

Matt covers AI for Marketplace, where he tries to be as polite as he can to every chatbot he meets … because, well, he’s seen sci-fi movies. Matt also covers some crypto and housing, with a taste for stories that make you say: "huh, that's kinda weird.”

Before joining Marketplace Matt was a data and housing reporter for CalMatters, focused on California politics and policy. Before that he was a statistics jockey for a think tank, focused on poverty and inequality. And long before that Matt was a really terrible teenage cashier for Toys R Us.

Matt’s previous honors include awards from the Online News Association and regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and SPJ awards.

Latest Stories (295)

How landlords and tenants are reacting to a changing rental market

Apr 9, 2024
The market is seeing a return of concessions and incentives for renters as demand cools in many parts of the nation.
Nationally, about 1 in 3 rental listings on Zillow offer concessions, like a month of free rent or parking.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Why are media mergers so tough to pull off?

Apr 8, 2024
Corporate marriages are hard. And corporate marriages in the always-in-flux media business can be even harder.
A successful marriage of entertainment companies in the internet age is difficult — but not impossible.
Phil Walter/Getty Images

Gmail was launched 20 April Fools' Days ago. The joke's been on its rivals.

Apr 1, 2024
For better or worse, the email service has become a personal archive for many millions of users.
Google Workspace, which includes Gmail, has 3 billion users.
S3studio/Getty Images

New Tennessee law aims to protect musicians from generative AI

Mar 28, 2024
Tennessee, home to the capital of country music, became the first state to target the unauthorized use of AI to replicate musicians’ voices.
Country music artist Luke Bryan speaks during the signing of Tennessee's ELVIS Act in Nashville on March 21.
Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Human Artistry Campaign

How a weak Japanese yen affects the U.S. economy

Mar 27, 2024
Japanese autos have not dropped in price and U.S. exports now become more expensive.
Until recently, Japan’s central bank has kept interest rates low to spur growth.
Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP via Getty Images

Should the U.S. raise the retirement age?

Mar 26, 2024
Larry Fink, head of the largest money manager in the world, suggested in an investor letter that the retirement age should be higher because of longer life expectancies. But is that realistic?
Larry Fink, the head of BlackRock — the largest money lender in the world — suggested in an investor letter Monday that we should maybe consider pushing up the retirement age.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

First stop on the road to regulating AI? Finding humans to do the job.

Mar 25, 2024
Passing AI regulations wasn't easy for the EU. Finding people to enforce it may be even harder.
Because generative AI is so young, there isn’t a huge talent pool for regulatory offices to draw from. And big tech companies can pay way more than governments.
Clement Mahoudeau/AFP via Getty Images

How the Realtors' legal settlement could change the buyer-agent relationship

Mar 18, 2024
More agents might start charging buyers hourly rates or working on retainer.
In the traditional model, home sellers pay the buyer’s agent. The NAR settlement could mean more buyers directly paying their Realtors.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Need to get a grip on AI? There are classes for that.

Mar 14, 2024
"In 2023, someone enrolled on Coursera in [generative] AI content every minute," the company's chief content officer says.
Jules White, an AI instructor with Coursera, says most of his courses are designed to get users excited about how to amplify their own creativity with AI, not just how to automate tedious tasks.
Josep Lago/AFP via Getty Images

How independent are Fed officials from the politicians who appoint them?

Mar 6, 2024
Biden has mostly shied away from publicly criticizing the Fed chair, while Trump tweeted about the Fed hundreds of times while in office.
It’s a mistake to think the Federal Reserve is completely immune from politics, says Sarah Binder at George Washington University. Above, Fed Chair Jerome Powell testifies at a House Financial Services Committee hearing.
Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images