AI Killed The Radio Star? – Radio DJs vs. AI-Generated Voices

Will the next great DJ be an AI-generated voice?

Spotify just launched a new AI-powered feature called “DJ” that provides users with personalized music selections.
The new feature combines Spotify’s existing personalization tools with AI-generated speech, including a DJ that speaks to users through an AI-generated voice.
This new feature aims to give listeners a mix of songs they are currently listening to, old favorites, and new tracks that fit their preferences.
The DJ feature is available in beta for premium subscribers in the US and Canada.
Spotify isn’t the only one.
Check out RadioGPT (and listen to the samples).

So… are radio DJs and podcasters doomed?

Here are the questions I am grappling with:

• Is this another threat to terrestrial radio and the art of being a DJ?
• Can AI curate and choose music better than a human music director for radio?
• Might listeners start to prefer the AI-generated DJ recommendation and the voice (especially if they can choose their favorite style of voice or even a celebrity as the tech evolves)?
• Might this type of tech inspire people to check out radio more – giving a renaissance to DJs or inspire radio stations to introduce new tools and features for a more personalized listening experience?
• If Spotify’s DJ works, might it create a shift in how radio stations select and present music?
• What about collabs? Imagine traditional broadcasters and tech companies working together or teaming up – AI and humans together!

This is what Heather Backman and I discussed over on 95.9 Star FM for a couple of minutes today.

What is Tech Tuesday?

Every Tuesday – for just a few minutes – I join Heather Backman (my old buddy from her days on CHOM FM and Jack 103) on the air at 95.9 Star FM to give a quick blast about the current state of technology, media and Internet culture.
We call it Tech Tuesday (and we do it in just a few minutes).

Once the segment goes live on 95.9 Star FM, I will post it here for you to listen in, learn, share and engage.