EconWorks Podcast

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Industrial organization insights on antitrust, digital platforms, and competition in ecosystem markets. blog.econworks.com

  1. 5h ago

    Price Discrimination and Railroad Competition

    The simple argument is this: rail competes with trucking, and therefore the relevant market is all freight transportation. If so, then mergers of railroads operating in different regions might seem innocuous. But that argument assumes all railroad customers are in the same market. In this episode of EconWorks, we explain why railroad freight is better thought of as a market with price discrimination, where different customers face fundamentally different competitive conditions. Contractual bargaining is used by industrial shippers who ship large volumes. Smaller shippers often compare trucking and rail on a price basis. This distinction changes how economists should think about market definition, the hypothetical monopolist test, and the competitive effects of railroad mergers. Topics: * Why railroad freight is not a single market Big shippers vs. little shippers * Substitution or negotiation * Definition of market and monopoly * Why trucking will be in the relevant market only where the merger makes little difference * Implications for railroad merger analysis * If you like clear explanations of antitrust, competition policy, AI, and platform economics, subscribe to EconWorks. Read the full article and graphic analysis: https://blog.econworks.com/p/the-wrong-market-the-wrong-test-railroad?r=562wri Explore more visual economics content: https://econworks.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EconWorks-d3e Substack: https://blog.econworks.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.econworks.com/subscribe

    Price Discrimination and Railroad Competition

  2. 1d ago

    Age of AI — Episode 2: When Models Meet Reality: AI and the Future of Economic Analysis

    Economic models are powerful—but only if their underlying assumptions are valid. In this episode we explore how artificial intelligence is changing the way economists test these assumptions. Instead of settling for one model, AI lets economists produce hundreds of alternative versions, test sensitivity, and better understand which conclusions are robust. Topics include: * The three-step process that economists use to test models * Assumptions are important * Sensitivity analysis assisted by AI * Algorithmic pricing as an example * Human judgment versus computer power * Why economists are more valuable, not less, in the age of AI This episode is a sequel to Episode 1, and it explains how AI is changing the practice of economics long before empirical analysis begins. Read the full article and graphic analysis: https://blog.econworks.com/p/age-of-ai-episode-2-when-models-meet?r=562wri Explore more visual economics content: https://econworks.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EconWorks-d3e Substack: https://blog.econworks.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.econworks.com/subscribe

    Age of AI — Episode 2: When Models Meet Reality: AI and the Future of Economic Analysis

  3. 3d ago

    Age of AI — Episode 2: Can AI Test Economic Models Better Than Humans?

    All economic models contain assumptions. But what if those assumptions change? In Episode 2 of the Age of AI series, we explore how economists are using artificial intelligence to test economic models, not to replace human expertise, but to systematically test alternative assumptions and discover which conclusions are really robust. What you'll learn: * Why all economic models are simplifications of reality * How economists study and test theoretical models * Why sensitivity analysis is important * How AI can develop and test thousands of alternative model specifications * Why we still need human judgment * What algorithmic pricing can teach us about AI and competition AI is not meant to replace economists, but rather to give them a powerful new tool for asking better questions, exploring competing explanations, and producing more reliable economic analysis. If you’re interested in antitrust, economics, artificial intelligence, or competition policy, then this is the episode for you. Subscribe for our next episode on how AI is helping economists grapple with messy real-world data. Read the full article and graphic analysis: https://blog.econworks.com/p/age-of-ai-episode-2-when-models-meet?r=562wri Explore more visual economics content: https://econworks.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EconWorks-d3e Substack: https://blog.econworks.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.econworks.com/subscribe

    Age of AI — Episode 2: Can AI Test Economic Models Better Than Humans?

  4. Jul 24

    They Built an 87-Camera Surveillance State to Stop Cheating. It Ruined Them.

    What happens when a criminal conspiracy treats trust as an engineering problem? According to a recently unsealed DOJ indictment, four major shipping container manufacturers allegedly banded together to artificially limit global output. To keep members from cheating, they shared real-time factory camera feeds with each other. But their biggest legal vulnerability wasn’t the cameras—it was the basic math of expanding their membership. This video explores the fascinating logic of corporate defection. Read the full article and graphic analysis: https://blog.econworks.com/p/the-box-cartel-trust-power-and-the?r=562wri Explore more visual economics content: https://econworks.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EconWorks-d3e Substack: https://blog.econworks.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.econworks.com/subscribe

    They Built an 87-Camera Surveillance State to Stop Cheating. It Ruined Them.

  5. Jul 23

    Age of AI—Episode 1: Merger Enforcement Is Changing—And AI Is Accelerating It

    Most people think merger enforcement is decided in court. The data show a different pattern. Across the United States and the European Union, an increasing share of challenged mergers resolve before a judge ever rules. Transactions are withdrawn, abandoned, or restructured through negotiated remedies long before litigation concludes. This shift is changing the role of economists—and artificial intelligence is accelerating it. In Episode 1 of the Age of AI series, we examine the following: • Why merger decisions are moving earlier in the review process • How economists are becoming strategic advisors rather than litigation specialists • How AI helps firms anticipate regulatory concerns • Why better economic analysis can lead to faster and more informed decisions • What this means for the future of competition policy Whether you’re an economist, lawyer, regulator, student, or simply interested in AI and competition policy, this episode provides an accessible introduction to one of the biggest changes occurring in modern merger enforcement. Read the full article and graphic analysis: https://blog.econworks.com/p/age-of-ai-episode-1-merger-enforcement?r=562wri Explore more visual economics content: https://econworks.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EconWorks-d3e Substack: https://blog.econworks.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.econworks.com/subscribe

    Age of AI—Episode 1: Merger Enforcement Is Changing—And AI Is Accelerating It

  6. Jul 17

    AI Infrastructure: Capacity, Constraints, and Competition

    Artificial intelligence is creating unprecedented demand for computing infrastructure. In this episode, we examine how data centers work, why AI-ready capacity has become a distinct market, and why infrastructure constraints—not market power—are driving today’s shortages. We also discuss what these developments mean for competition policy, investment, and the future of AI. Read the full article and graphic analysis: https://blog.econworks.com/p/the-market-for-ai-ready-data-center?r=562wri Explore more visual economics content: https://econworks.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EconWorks-d3e Substack: https://blog.econworks.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.econworks.com/subscribe

    AI Infrastructure: Capacity, Constraints, and Competition

  7. Jul 16

    How a failed Silicon Valley acquisition foreshadowed today’s battles over AI, platforms, and digital gatekeepers*

    In 2010, Google attempted to acquire Groupon for roughly $6 billion. Groupon rejected the offer amid fears that antitrust scrutiny could trap the company in a prolonged review process during a critical growth phase. The company later IPO’d, faced accounting controversies, and lost most of its market value. But the larger significance of the failed deal may lie elsewhere. This episode explores how merger uncertainty, nascent competitor concerns, and evolving antitrust theories helped foreshadow many of today’s debates involving: * Big Tech, * AI ecosystems, * digital gatekeepers, * and platform acquisitions. Read the full article and the graphic analysis. https://blog.econworks.com/publish/posts/detail/198543769?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts%2Fpublished Explore more visual economics content: https://econworks.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EconWorks-d3e Substack: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.econworks.com/subscribe

    How a failed Silicon Valley acquisition foreshadowed today’s battles over AI, platforms, and digital gatekeepers*

  8. Jul 10

    The Lock-In Trap: Procurement’s Role in Creating Unbreakable Tech Monopolies

    On May 25, 2026, the Dutch government blocked Kyndryl’s acquisition of Solvinity, citing national security concerns. But the real story is not the block—it’s how the Dutch government (and many others) inadvertently created a one-vendor monopoly in critical infrastructure through mundane procurement decisions. This episode considers the following: * The risk of lock-in through repeated government contracts * Why traditional antitrust tools are useless in these situations * The true trade-off between digital sovereignty and scale * Smarter market design solutions for security and competition This issue is something policymakers, tech leaders, antitrust professionals, and everyone else concerned about critical digital infrastructure need to watch. Read the full article and graphic analysis: https://blog.econworks.com/p/the-lock-in-problem-how-procurement?r=562wri Explore more visual economics content: https://econworks.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EconWorks-d3e Substack: https://blog.econworks.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.econworks.com/subscribe

    The Lock-In Trap: Procurement’s Role in Creating Unbreakable Tech Monopolies
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Industrial organization insights on antitrust, digital platforms, and competition in ecosystem markets. blog.econworks.com

Information

  • Creator
    EconWorks
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    54
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © EconWorks Consulting Inc.
  • Show Website
    EconWorks Podcast