HBG Media Minute: Fear Not (Yet), The Encroachment Of AI On The Radio Space
Look at any recent article or feature on the trajectory of AI and you will likely encounter a dire prediction for not only media, but for mankind. This wanton hyperbole capitalizes on our deepest insecurities and concerns over a technology that appears hellbent on taking over the entire radio industry. Be that through AI curated playlists, social media event detection for content generation, to the development of artificial DJs increasingly resembling the real. If many cynics in our industry saw the precipitous rise of music streaming as a portent of radio’s imminent irrelevance, then AI must be the final nail in the coffin, right?
Wrong!
In a recent survey conducted by Harker Bos Group we asked 600 radio listeners across the country what they think about the use of AI in radio broadcasting. The responses we received were more than assuring. For starters, when asked whether they prefer content that is created by AI or by Humans, 69% unequivocally stated their preference for human-made content.
Graph (below): Do you prefer content that is created by AI or by humans?
Why do radio listeners largely prefer human-made content? Because “Humans have feelings,” replies one listener. “It just makes things more personable,” remarks another. “Robots are fake and don’t know anything,” quips a respondent. “AI-generated content will never have the soul of Human content,” rhapsodizes a fellow member of the human race. And perhaps a commentary on the awkward, uncanny state of the AI technology accessible today, “Robots are more on autopilot, while humans come off as more natural to listen to.”
If there are any disc jockeys out there, lying restless in their bed at night, worried sick over the idea of AI taking their job – We at HBG would tell that wearied person to fret no more (unless they are bad at their job. In which case, yes, they should probably be worried). 70% of radio listeners straightforwardly state that it is a “Bad Idea” to have robots or computer programs host radio shows instead of humans.
Graph (below): What do you think about the idea of having robots or computer programs host radio shows instead of humans?
Thanks for reading this week’s edition of the Harker Bos Group Media Minute! Stay tuned for more in the future.
Study Profile
600 US radio listeners
Study conducted in May 2023
Ages 18+