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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 (301)

How AI helps some people with disabilities communicate

by Matt Levin
Jan 2, 2024
Deep learning, voice cloning and image tech are helping people with nonstandard speech express themselves and be better understood.
A close-up of "Always Watching" by Amie Thornburg. After losing movement in her limbs because of ALS, Thornburg turned to the art tool Fotor to create images.
Courtesy Thornburg
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So when do we all start accepting that high inflation isn't a thing any more?

by Matt Levin
Dec 26, 2023
Businesses may not have an incentive to lower prices if consumers are still in an inflation mindset.
Spending on discretionary items can be tougher to cut back on when everything costs more. Some consumers see that extra spending as a way to cope with the stress of inflation, says Andy Manthei at GreenPath Financial Wellness.
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Banks in Turmoil

Could commercial real estate still tank regional banks?

by Matt Levin
Dec 21, 2023
A new study says that 300 regional banks are at risk of collapse because of the high number of vacancies in office buildings.
The delinquency rate on office loans tripled this year, says Trepp's Stephen Buschbom.
Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images
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If the Federal Reserve had a word of the year, what would it be?

by Matt Levin
Dec 13, 2023
We asked economists to give us a word of the year for 2023 that summed up the zeitgeist for monetary policy.
Economist Skanda Amarnath at Employ America says "fortunate" is the word he'd use to describe the Fed's 2023.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
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The way real estate agents are paid could be changing. Here's how that could affect buyers and sellers.

by Matt Levin
Dec 12, 2023
Agents typically split the 5% to 6% commission when a home is sold. Rates could go lower in the wake of class-action litigation.
A wave of litigation targeting the costs to home sellers could shift the economics of real estate representation.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
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The hottest holiday shopping trend? Buy now, pay later

by Matt Levin
Dec 4, 2023
Online shopping financed with buy now pay later services hit $940 million on Cyber Monday, an all-time high.
Online shopping financed with buy now, pay later services hit $940 million on Cyber Monday, an all-time high.
Mark Makela/Getty Images
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What are corporate boards of directors supposed to do, exactly?

by Matt Levin
Nov 28, 2023
And what do medieval times have to do with it?
The average Fortune 500 company has a board of about 11 members, give or take.
FangXiaNuo/Getty Images
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ChatGPT turns 1: A generative AI status report

by Matt Levin
Nov 21, 2023
Some experts are surprised we're not using AI tools even more.
"I think there was no business owner out there that when they were exposed to ChatGPT couldn't imagine that there was some application for this technology to make their own business more efficient," says Amin Ahmad of Vectara.
Sebastien Bozon/AFP via Getty Images
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What to make of the drama at OpenAI after CEO Sam Altman's firing?

by Matt Levin
Nov 20, 2023
The very public OpenAI chaos is a teachable moment for policymakers and regulators, says NYU professor Gary Marcus.
Hundreds of OpenAI staff members have threatened to quit if former CEO Sam Altman, above, isn't reinstated.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
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A good repo man is hard to find

by Matt Levin
Nov 7, 2023
The repossession industry is struggling with an enduring labor shortage, while 1.5 million car repos are expected this year.
A good chunk of used cars come from repossessions.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
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