Imagine an AI voice replacing the talk, interviews, music and local news on radio programs. Media company Futuri, based in Ohio, USA has released RadioGPT, which it claims is the first AI-driven radio platform in the world.
Futuri’s TopicPulse software scours the web for relevant content and social media for insights into local market trends. Radio scripts are then generated by the platform and read by AI-generated radio hosts using the same GPT-3 technology as ChatGPT.
Additionally, the company asserts that its technology can automate the production of podcasts, videos, and social media posts, as well as the transcription of radio broadcasts.
Futuri CEO Daniel Anstandig states, “As early AI innovators in the broadcast space, it’s only natural that we’re bringing the incredible power of GPT-3 technology, paired with groundbreaking technology like TopicPulse to radio,”
He continues, “The ability for broadcasters to use RadioGPT to localize their on-air content in a turnkey fashion opens up resources for them to deepen their important home-field advantages in new and unique ways.”
Radio GPT’s official stance is to, ‘Save radio, not compete with it.’
AI DJ’s Already Exist
Spotify, another major player in the audio streaming industry, recently introduced a new AI feature called DJ, which provides a curated selection of music accompanied by AI-powered spoken commentary.
In a late 2021 Youtube clip from Reuters, AI automation has ‘amazing’ implications for generating scripts and substituting on-air talent.
RadioGPT Release Date
In mid-April the technology will make its debut on radio stations, including those owned by Portland-based Alpha Media which operates over 200 stations in the United States, and Toronto-based Rogers Sports & Media which owns 55 stations in Canada.
According to Anstandig, several hundred radio stations will be using RadioGPT by the end of the year. Futuri’s homebase in Cleveland, Ohio is the first city to introduce RadioGPT’s capability on live radio.
The Future Of Radio
Local disc jockeys were already at a disadvantage with the rise of automated music production. Even before the A.I. buzz, broadcast networks were slashing on-air talent at both the national and local levels to save money and automate programming.
This included syndicating popular shows and brands, prerecording and scheduling late-night broadcasts, and training a roboticized voice to fill in when necessary.
These trends highlight the music industry’s expectation of a future with fewer human workers, as major streaming services increasingly rely on algorithms and automation to curate playlists and make user recommendations.
Introducing Futuri's RadioGPT™, the world’s first localized radio content powered entirely by artificial intelligence.
Read the full press release here: https://t.co/u2RflAUJv4
— Futuri (@FUTURIinc) February 23, 2023
AI hasn’t yet eliminated radio talent and it’s not likely it will any time soon. Still, there’s a new digital companion with RadioGPT, programmed to know everything there is to know about the music played on your station. Beta testing RadioGPT is underway by Alpha Media and Rogers Sports & Media with positive results.
Whatever your thoughts on RadioGPT might be, the implications of losing more jobs to AI technology is becoming more obvious with each passing year.