81 - Algorithms Secretly Control Your Financial Fate

March 6, 2025

81 – Algorithms Secretly Control Your Financial Fate

Host: Herb Weisbaum /

Guest(s): Susan Weinstock - CEO of Consumer Federation of America; Jennifer Chien - senior policy counsel, Consumer Reports’ financial fairness team

An increasing number of important decisions about your life are now made by computer algorithms and artificial intelligence. They do more than suggest movies or music you might like—they’re making lending decisions for banks and screening job applicants for employers.

Consumer advocates acknowledge the benefits of AI, but they’re also concerned about the potential harm. They want lawmakers and regulators to put guardrails in place to protect consumers.

In this episode, the many ways companies are now using algorithms and AI, how these powerful computer programs make the marketplace less transparent—and, in some cases, less fair—and how the massive amount of data being collected and used to make decisions about lending, employment, housing, and insurance coverage can infringe on privacy rights.

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AI, technology

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Not a Checkbook member? ⁠Sign up for a free 30-day trial to access all of our unbiased ratings⁠.

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April 4, 2024

60 – Avoid a Big Cell Phone Bill When Traveling Abroad

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February 22, 2024

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finance, money, technology

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53 – Smart Toys: The Privacy & Security Risks

Host: Herb Weisbaum /

Guest(s): Teresa Murray - Consumer Watchdog, U.S. PIRG; R.J. Cross - Director of PIRG’s Don’t Sell My Data Campaign

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