About this episode

This episode explores the implications of agentic AI on productivity and discusses economic issues such as the U.S. dollar's decline and budget airlines' struggles with fuel prices.

Haven’t you always wished for robots to do menial labor? That’s sort of what agentic artificial intelligence is — rather than existing solely in a chat box, the technology can excecute complex tasks. These “helpers” have spurred a rat race in certain tech circles: With the help of personalized AI agents, just how productive can you be? Also in this episode: The U.S. dollar drags, budget airlines seek relief from high jet fuel prices, and consumers use credit to keep up with daily expenses. 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.

People in this episode

Host: Marketplace

Topics covered

• agentic AI
• productivity
• economic impact
• credit usage
• budget airlines
• jet fuel prices

Keywords

• agentic AI
• productivity
• U.S. dollar
• budget airlines
• jet fuel
• credit usage
• economic news

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Marketplace

Products: jet fuel

Places: U.S.

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• Diesel prices fuel uncertainty for small businesses · April 20, 2026 · 25 min
• QVC wants to be the next TikTok Shop · April 17, 2026 · 26 min

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