Remember when those who weren’t in the management corner office were excited about AI and the possibility of it enhancing listenership? Fast forward to today after a new study found most listeners are annoyed by the sound of AI, and would rather listen to an actual human on air.
Sounds Profitable recently conducted an expansive survey on Artificial Intelligence and radio. The findings were pretty conclusive in favor of local talent. In fact, almost half surveyed stated they would be less likely to continue listening to their favorite radio show or podcast if they found out an AI voice was being used. A further look into AI showed those with higher intelligence were more probable to turning off the show if AI was used.
Moving onto other areas where AI is used…two years ago 77% of those who listen to books on tape said they were willing to try AI narration. However, that number has dropped to 70%. Clearly this wasn’t a significant drop and suggests others are open, or it’s not an issue to AI narration. It’s safe to say books on tape will continue to use artificial intelligence.
When creators were surveyed, 80% said they use AI in some aspect of their work; whether it’s prep for a show, information for segments, or even voice work to narrate a video. Many podcasters rely on AI with help in creating factual and entertaining content.
Radio companies have already implemented libraries of various AI voices. Some markets have started using AI in their station imaging. According to Jacob’s Media’s AQ6 report, 77% of those on-air are concerned AI will take their jobs. We saw what happened when Alpha Media implemented AI Ashley in June of 2023. Now, “she” only fills in when her human counterpart is on vacation, so I don’t imagine AI taking over radio just yet.
The fact remains, as the research shows, there’s still some distrust when it comes to artificial intelligence. One way to combat this is to be transparent. Before an audiobook is read, state whether the VO is from AI or an actual human. When podcasters, radio hosts, content creators try to be sneaky about their use of AI is when doubt will prevail.