A question I get asked a whole lot these days is this:

“What is your position on A.I.?”

I understand it.  More and more people are becoming familiar and conversant with the growing list of tools like ChatGPT and specifically to our business, RadioGPT.

The question assumes there’s an opinion to be had, like one’s feeling about the Electoral College or baseball’s new pitch clock.

Like am I for it or against it?

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But of course, it’s far more complicated than that.  The technology has capabilities we’re learning about, and potential we may not be able to yet fathom.  Many are excited by the possibilities, while others – Bill Gates and Elon Musk among them – believe we’re moving too far, too fast.

How it might impact the radio business goes to the heart of the question.  As a timesaver to stretch a talent’s skills is something broadcasters and technology companies have been working on long before 2023.  I’ve used its capability to rough out newsletters, a communication tool gaining in popularity.  Asking the right questions can generate passable copy that still needs careful editing and proofreading.  The technology can create starter stories and copy for websites, too.  Again, a human becomes more of an editor than a writer.

But it’s the on-air presentation work that has generated controversy.  The art of being “on the air” is a skill that’s been oft-debated for years now.  Voicetracking – a sort of interim step between live radio and A.I. created shows – has served as a testing ground for on-demand, “radio in the can.”  How well has voicetracking been executed, both strategically by programmers, over a mic by personalities?

We’re now talking about thousands of personalities on countless stations over years and years – surely a large enough sample to establish a proof of concept.  Has voicetracking saved money during this time?  Without a doubt.

But has it made better radio? And of course, that’s always going to be a subjective call.  But I don’t think radio sounds better since the advent and popularization of voicetracking.  And in theory, it should have.  The chance to prep and craft breaks without the pressures of the moment are apparently offset by the lack of on-air “crackle” that comes with being on the radio live.

Programmers haven’t worked as closely with voicetrackers on their shows, often considered a sort of minor leagues of live radio.  Even though diaries and meters are “hot” whether a station is live or recorded, there’s always been that tendency to simply pay more attention to what emanates out of the air studio in real time, rather than the more hastily recorded tracks laid down in a production studio.

Even though a voicetracker has the gift of time to record a 4-hour show in a fraction of those 24o minutes, it doesn’t seem to have contributed to making a more listenable or enjoyable form of radio.  Oftentimes, prerecorded shows sound that way, or they certainly don’t have the electricity that often comes with live radio.

RadioGPT is selling against the increasing numbers of hours radio stations stay on the air without any hint of humanity.  Songs are segued or separated by pedestrian produced drops.  More and more listeners can tell when there’s no one there.

But the masterminds behind RadioGPT are suggesting their artificially intelligent DJs are better than run-of-the-mill voicetrackers or even live talent that leaves much to be desired.  Bots don’t forget to include the promos.  They know what year “What’s Love Got To Do With It” came out and its peak position on the Billboard charts.  They are sure to tell you what to do in Wichita this weekend with the family.  And they will remind you Godsmack tickets go on sale this Monday.

In other words, they don’t make the same bonehead mistakes and omissions real, live talent make.  There’s never more than one thought per break, shuffling of categories, or slipping in a deeper track when no one’s listening.  That just cannot happen when a show is architected and presented by AI-infused bots.

Why am I not surprised that so many broadcasters are excited (even giddy) about the technology?  It scales, it’s economical, and it gives them near-total control.  But what, if anything, does the audience think?  That’s right – oh, them.  

In Switzerland a month or so ago, a radio station put A.I. hosts to the test.  (By all accounts, they also put together a great stunt.)

In prime time (6a-7p), Couleur 3 conducted an experiment using cloned voices of five human presenters.  Unlike the way many stations might stage the day, Couleur 3 made transparent announcements every 20 minutes.

A highly produced “explainer” promo described the radio science project:

“For 13 hours, our digital alter egos have taken the reins, broadcasting their voices and their messages across the airwaves, without mercy or respite.  The boundaries between human and machine have been blurred, and it’s up to you to unravel what’s real and what’s fake.  Our voice clones and A.I. are here to unsettle, surprise and shake you.  And for that matter, this text was also written by a robot.” 

Do you think people were listening closely to this French-speaking radio station on its “A.I. Day?”

The company behind Couleur 3’s day-long stunt is Respeecher, a Ukrainian startup.  Newscasts were written and voiced via Generative A.I., comprised of futuristic, fictitious stories (a ban on spaceship flights over Geneva, etc.).

The net-net on the stunt from the audience is that the voices were very realistic.  But as station chief Antoine Multon told Fortune reporter Jamey Keaten, “The main feedback we get, in 90% of the messages is: ‘It’s cool, but there’s a human element missing.  You can sense these are robots, and there are fewer surprises, less personality.”

Generative A.I. is more than the next century’s version of voicetracking.  The writing and “creative” angle alone separates it from existing digital tools.

But even with its incredible and expanding capabilities, can A.I. air talent bring a sense of joy to the listening experience?  That elation and feelings of joy were evident in your comments last Friday (and throughout the weekend) as many of you shared your love for Wolfman Jack and other personalities of his day who forged wonderful connections between an air studio and millions of radios within earshot of a powerful AM signal.

While cloned voices can convincingly read promos or deliver accurate song and artist info, what about those emotional factors we see emerge year in and year out in Techsurvey? I gave you a glimpse of those intangibles in a post a couple weeks back, “Radio And The Grid Of Pain.”  While the days of Wolfman Jack may be over and done, the fact is today’s listeners continue to reap a rainbow of emotional benefits from tuning in a favorite station, personality, or show

Yes, it’s those little red “e’s”  – that confirm a revealing part behind the rationale why consumers STILL listen to today’s stations, despite consolidation, budget cutbacks, voicetracking, and all the modern trappings.  Companionship, mood elevation, escape, a sense of place – they continue to be part of the decades-old bargain millions make with the radio stations, DJs, and hosts they continue to loyally listen to.

I was reminded of the emotional payback listeners get when they invest in a local radio station and its talented hosts when I read an obit for a personality in New Mexico the other week.

Kip Allen had a nice 20 year run on Albuquerque’s Classical music station, KHFM.  I don’t think he ever won a Marconi nor did he make any trade’s “Best of” list.

Chances are, you never heard of him.  But by all  accounts, Allen had that rare gift of having a powerful impact on his audience and his community.

Using recorded sounds of feathered wildlife indigenous to the

area, Allen greeted his listeners each morning with a time check and “Time to join our birds” as he started his “A Joyful Noise Show.”

His former GM, Mike Langer summed up Kip Allen’s presence best:

“Kip personified having a friend on the radio to drive along with you, or to be with you while you were making breakfast in the kitchen.  He had an amazing ability to make his humanness and spirit come out of the speaker.  It was like having Uncle Kip there with an armload of records.”

Former promotion director, Lindy Gold, summed up what Allen brought to his listeners:

“He made you joyful when you were with him.”

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about A.I. – what the live personality can do that A.I. technology can’t – at least for now.  I am also hearing from many human radio personalities growing more concerned about being replaced by a virtual voice directed by algorithms and code.

Not to oversimplify it, but if you have the ability, the space, and the permission to be yourself and bring joy into people’s lives, you’ll probably have a nice long career on the airwaves.

And along the way, make sure you take every opportunity to bring your audience a little job.

At least for now, they still haven’t figured out how to make a robot DJ do that.

You can read Ollie Reed, Jr.’s tribute to Kip Allen from the Albuquerque Journal here.

I will be joining Mike McVay and Loyd Ford on “The Encouragers” podcast accessible here.  The episode is “ChatGPT & the A.I. Century” and it drops on 6/14.  Details to follow. 

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Fred Jacobs

President & Founder at Jacobs Media

Fred Jacobs founded Jacobs Media in 1983, and quickly became known for the creation of the Classic Rock radio format.

Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.

In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.

Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.

Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.

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