From finance and medicine to used cars, artificial intelligence is radically improving market efficiency

Illustration of a car priced at $5500, but with diagrams pointing to flat tyres and engine issues that suggest $5000 would be a better price
Illustration: George Wylesol

|San Francisco|6 min read

IF YOU KNOW how to use artificial intelligence, it can save you a lot of time and money. Leasing a new car? Be sure to upload a photograph of the contract to ChatGPT first. Need help with a leaky tap? AI often understands the issue—and at a lower cost than a handyman. Parents with a fussy baby can now use chatbots to answer questions in seconds, rather than waiting for a doctor’s appointment. Giving Claude a PDF of a wine list is a great way to find the best-value bottles.

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This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “The end of the rip-off economy”

From the November 1st 2025 edition

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