While the idea of a fast-paced, AI-generated podcast might seem terrifying to some fans and creators, other industry players see it as an inevitable necessity. Oskar Serrander, who describes his AI-infused podcasting studio Wondercraft as “Canva for audio,” says he sees AI as a way to aid creators “create at the speed of culture.” While he acknowledges AI’s limitations, such as the way the technology tends to borrow from previous ideas rather than create up-to-date ones, he admires the way it can lower the barrier to entry for some brands or creators.
Serrander notices that there are fewer of them podcast creators than it is OnlyFans CreatorsMeanwhile, there are millions of YouTube channels, and “then you have TikTok and other social media channels and all these creators” competing for people’s attention. AI, he says, could lead to the “democratization of podcasts,” ultimately leading to what he believes could be a more fascinating — and more profitable — industry.
Of course, that’s not how those deeply involved in the art of podcasting see it. Jason Saldanha, chief operating officer of nonprofit digital radio distribution company PRX, says that the creators he’s worked with tend to be wary of AI, in part because they believe “the real power of the medium is the host-listener relationship.” (Disclosure: PRX distributes podcasts for WIRED’s parent company, Condé Nast.)
While it’s certainly tempting to apply AI to translate a podcast into 20 languages and simply share it with the world, it also pushes the boundaries of authenticity. “The most successful podcasts have a one-to-one relationship with their audience, as if the audience believes they’re interacting with those people in the same room or working with them to solve a problem together,” Saldanha says. Tapping an AI voice to read the news of the day or even create an entirely up-to-date story related to the news of the day may seem tempting to those looking to make money from podcasting, but in the long run, he believes it’s a losing game.
“The vast majority of audio companies are run by former radio executives who, in the ’90s, had ads that made up about 50 percent of what was on the air,” Saldanha explains. “That created a moment where viewers said, ‘This is too much advertising. I need an alternative,’ so they went to Napster, and then to Spotify.”
Now, as these executives work in digital audio, Saldanha says, they’re using the same tactics to try to monetize podcasts as much as possible. Doing so, while also adding more podcasts to the market, will devalue the form of premium content, putting the entire podcast industry at risk.
“These kinds of companies are flooding the market with content to get the lowest level of engagement, and that’s fine as a strategy, but it’s not a long-term strategy,” Saldanha says. “It’s disgusting and it’s wrong, and you end up cutting off your nose just to make an extra dollar.”
Caloroga Shark doesn’t see it that way. For Francis, AI should be part of the toolkit that podcasters apply to stand out in a crowded field. Listeners “will decide which shows are worth keeping around, whether they use AI or not,” he says. Pager Protocol may or may not be in the mix.