September 27, 2024 • 9 mins
As AI continues to reshape the industry, we take a look at the balance between innovation and preserving the unique elements that make podcasts special.
Join us as we navigate this new landscape and consider the implications of AI-generated content on creativity and diversity of thought
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
Okay, so have you heard aboutthis new AI tool, NotebookLM, fro
Google? Apparently you can make a
whole podcast, like with two hosts
injust a few hours.
Wow. So not just likegenerating show notes or something?
No, like a full on audioexperience with distinct AI personalities
andeverything. Kind of wild, right?
(00:24):
It is pretty wild when youthink about it. It's like, what does
it even mean to be a host in the
age of AI, right?
And it's not just theoreticaleither. This article I was reading,
theauthor actually used notebook LM
to make a whole podcast called be
a better podcaster.
Oh, wow, talk about meta. Apodcast about podcasting made by
apodcasting AI.
Exactly. It's like this weirdAI inception thing, but it kind of
makes you think this could really
shake things up in the podcasting
world.
(00:48):
For sure. I mean, not everyonehas a fancy studio or knows how to
use all the editing software. This
could be huge for people who want
toshare their stories but find the
whole podcasting thing intimidating,
like atotal game changer.
But how does it even work? Youjust like feed it information and
it spits out a podcast.
Pretty much. Say you find areally interesting article and you
think this would make a great conversation,
which, let's be honest, is.
(01:12):
How I get ideas for about halfof our deep dives.
Well, there you go. So youupload the article to notebook LM,
select the audio interview option,
andboom. The AI takes over and creates
awhole conversation based on that
content.
No more spending hours editingout my rambling tangents. I'm sold.
But really, how realistic does it
actually sound? Like? Would people
actually believe it's two real people
having a conversation?
(01:38):
Well, according to thearticle, it's surprisingly convincing.
Youknow, AI speech synthesis has come
along way even in the last couple
of years.
True, Siri doesn't sound quiteas robotic as she used to.
Exactly. And apparentlynotebook LM is even better. It tries
to capture those nuances of human
conversation, like intonation and
pacing. Although the article did
say its not 100% perfect just yet.
(02:02):
Yeah, the author mentioned afew times where the pauses between
words were a little off, or the inflection
sounded a bit robotic. I guess were
not quite at the point where AI can
perfectly replicate the human voice.
Not yet, anyway. But even witha few imperfections, the potential
hereis huge. Think about it. You could
have AI generate different versions
ofyour podcast in different languages
ortailored to different audiences.
(02:25):
That's actually amazing. Talkabout expanding your reach. But it
still seems like the human touch
isimportant, you know, coming up with
the initial concept, giving the AI
direction, and actually promoting
the podcast.
Oh, absolutely. This isn'tabout replacing human creativity,
it'sabout augmenting it. Like giving
creators a powerful new tool to work
with.
(02:45):
It's like AI can handle thetechnical side of things, so we're
free to focus on the creative side.
Exactly. It's about workingsmarter, not harder. And who knows
what amazing new ideas and formats
we'll come up with when we have AI
to help us bring them to life.
So instead of thinking of AIas a threat, we should be thinking
of itas an opportunity.
Precisely. An opportunity topush our own creativity further.
(03:07):
Speaking of pushingboundaries, this whole thing got
methinking about authenticity. Like,
what makes a podcast great? Is it
the perfectly edited sound, or is
it that raw human connection you
get when you're listening to a conversation?
Right? And that's somethingI'm really grappling with, because
ifthe hosts aren't even human, can
you really have that same level of
connection with the audience?
(03:30):
That's a great question, andone that I'm not sure even the AI
has an answer to yet.
It really makes you wonder,where do we draw the line? Like,
willwe get to a point where podcasts
are sopolished, so perfectly produced,
thatthey lose that raw human element?
It's like, what's that saying?Too much of a good thing?
Exactly. You know, I thinkback to when I first started podcasting,
Iwas so focused on trying to sound
professional, you know, like those
big time radio hosts.
(03:57):
Oh, yeah, with the perfectdiction and everything.
Yeah, exactly. But I soundedso stiff and rehearsed, it was painful.
It wasn't until I just relaxed, let
my guard down a little, that people
really started responding to the
podcast.
So it was those imperfections,those little glimpses of your personality,
that made people connect.
Exactly. And that's what Iworry about with all this AI stuff,
that we'll lose.
(04:18):
That human element, that sparkof authenticity.
Exactly. It's like AI can helpus create amazing sounding podcasts,
butit can't replace the human heart
atthe center of it all.
So then how do we find thatbalance? How do we embrace these
newAI tools without losing what makes
podcasting special?
That's the million dollarquestion, isn't it? I don't know
ifthere's an easy answer, but I do
think it starts with being really
intentional about why we're using
AIin the first place.
(04:45):
Like, what's the goal, right?
Is it just to make thingseasier, faster, cheaper? Or are we
using AI to actually enhance our
creativity, to tell better stories,
toconnect with our audience on a deeper
level.
Because a hammer can build ahouse or it can break stuff, it all
depends on the person using it.
Exactly. And with AI, thestakes are even higher. I mean, we're
talking about a technology that can
mimic or even surpass human intelligence.
Wehave to be careful with how we use
it.
(05:12):
Which leads to anotherquestion. What about the listeners?
Howare they going to react to all of
this? Like, do people even want to
listen to AI generated podcasts?
Right? Are listeners going tobe okay with this, man, the real
deal.
And if we do start using AI inpodcasting, shouldn't we be upfront
about it? Like, should there be some
kind of disclaimer?
Transparency is definitelyimportant. Just like with any other
aspect of podcasting. If you're using
AI to help you create your show,
tellyour listeners they deserve to know.
(05:41):
But where's the line? Like,are we going to start seeing warning
labels on podcast apps? This podcast
contains AI generated voices. Listener
discretion is advised.
It's tricky, right? We don'twant to stifle innovation, but we
also don't want to mislead anyone.
Thisis uncharted territory.
Who knows? Maybe podcast appswill start categorizing podcasts
basedon how much AI was used in the making
of them.
(06:04):
It's possible. I mean, we'realready seeing AI being used for
things like content recommendations
andtargeted advertising. It wouldn't
surprise me if it eventually spills
over into how podcasts are categorized
andpresented to listeners.
There's a lot to think about.
It is. And then there's thewhole question of how AI will impact
the podcasting industry as a whole.
Right? Like, will this lead tomore opportunities for creators?
Or willAI end up replacing human podcasters
altogether?
(06:29):
Some people think we're headedfor an AI powered podcasting boom.
Lower barriers to entry, more diverse
voices, endless possibilities.
And others are worried aboutjob losses, the devaluation of human
creativity, that kind of thing.
It's definitely a time ofgreat change and uncertainty. But
if there's one thing I know for sure,
it's that AI isn't going away.
(06:50):
It's here to stay.
Exactly. And like it or not,it's going to continue to shape the
way we create, consume, and even
think about podcasts.
Well, speaking of AI andpodcasting, we haven't even gotten
tothe most meta part of the article
yet.
Oh, you mean the part wherethe author actually listens to the
AI podcast and tells us if it's any
good?
Exactly. So what did theythink? Was it any good?
Well, according to theirarticle, it was surprisingly convincing.
The AI host, they actually discussed
themain points of the article, like,
ina natural back and forth way.
(07:17):
Get out. So, like, you askquestions and everything.
Questions, answers, even alittle humor thrown in there.
Hold on. Humor? Like the AIwas making jokes.
That's what the article said.
I gotta know, was it actuallyfunny? Or like that painful kind
ofAI humor that makes you wanna hide
under a rock?
The article didn't really gointo detail about the AI's comedic
timing, but it did say that overall,
itwas really engaging to listen to,
even with a few rough edges here
andthere. Like, the pauses weren't perfect,
right?
(07:49):
That robotic cadence.
Yeah, exactly.
But still, it's pretty mindblowing creating a whole podcast
episode with AI in a few hours. I
mean, come on.
It's a game changer for sure.Especially for people who are just
starting out with podcasting or anyone
who doesn't have a ton of time or
resources.
Right? It could really opendoors for a lot of people.
Exactly. Imagine being able tojust get your ideas out there in
this really polished and engaging
way.No need for expensive equipment or
anything.
(08:17):
The democratization ofpodcasting or something.
Right. But then it also makesyou wonder, like, what happens when
everyone and their grandma can create
a professional sounding podcast,
right?
Is that a good thing or a badthing? More voices, more diversity
ofthought. That's great. But are we
gonna end up drowning in a sea of
content?
It's hard to say. It's likeopening pandora's box. In a way,
we're sticking into this uncharted
territory. It's both exciting and
alittle bit terrifying.
(08:42):
No doubt. But one thing's forsure, this AI stuff is changing the
game.
Absolutely. And it's up to allof us to figure out how we're going
to navigate this new landscape.
So, to our listeners outthere, what do you think? Are you
ready for the age of AI podcasting?
Let us know. Hit us up onsocial media. Send us an email. We
want to hear your thoughts on this
whole AI revolution.
(09:03):
And hey, maybe you'll evenhear your thoughts featured on a
future deep dive.
Who knows? Maybe we'll evenlet the AI chime in with its two
cent.
Until next time, keepexploring, keep creating, and keep
listening.
Okay, so have you heard aboutthis new AI tool, NotebookLM, fro
Google? Apparently you can make a
whole podcast, like with two hosts
injust a few hours.
Wow. So not just likegenerating show notes or something?
No, like a full on audioexperience with distinct AI personalities
andeverything. Kind of wild, right?
(00:24):
It is pretty wild when youthink about it. It's like, what does
it even mean to be a host in the
age of AI, right?
And it's not just theoreticaleither. This article I was reading,
theauthor actually used notebook LM
to make a whole podcast called be
a better podcaster.
Oh, wow, talk about meta. Apodcast about podcasting made by
apodcasting AI.
Exactly. It's like this weirdAI inception thing, but it kind of
makes you think this could really
shake things up in the podcasting
world.
(00:48):
For sure. I mean, not everyonehas a fancy studio or knows how to
use all the editing software. This
could be huge for people who want
toshare their stories but find the
whole podcasting thing intimidating,
like atotal game changer.
But how does it even work? Youjust like feed it information and
it spits out a podcast.
Pretty much. Say you find areally interesting article and you
think this would make a great conversation,
which, let's be honest, is.
(01:12):
How I get ideas for about halfof our deep dives.
Well, there you go. So youupload the article to notebook LM,
select the audio interview option,
andboom. The AI takes over and creates
awhole conversation based on that
content.
No more spending hours editingout my rambling tangents. I'm sold.
But really, how realistic does it
actually sound? Like? Would people
actually believe it's two real people
having a conversation?
(01:38):
Well, according to thearticle, it's surprisingly convincing.
Youknow, AI speech synthesis has come
along way even in the last couple
of years.
True, Siri doesn't sound quiteas robotic as she used to.
Exactly. And apparentlynotebook LM is even better. It tries
to capture those nuances of human
conversation, like intonation and
pacing. Although the article did
say its not 100% perfect just yet.
(02:02):
Yeah, the author mentioned afew times where the pauses between
words were a little off, or the inflection
sounded a bit robotic. I guess were
not quite at the point where AI can
perfectly replicate the human voice.
Not yet, anyway. But even witha few imperfections, the potential
hereis huge. Think about it. You could
have AI generate different versions
ofyour podcast in different languages
ortailored to different audiences.
(02:25):
That's actually amazing. Talkabout expanding your reach. But it
still seems like the human touch
isimportant, you know, coming up with
the initial concept, giving the AI
direction, and actually promoting
the podcast.
Oh, absolutely. This isn'tabout replacing human creativity,
it'sabout augmenting it. Like giving
creators a powerful new tool to work
with.
(02:45):
It's like AI can handle thetechnical side of things, so we're
free to focus on the creative side.
Exactly. It's about workingsmarter, not harder. And who knows
what amazing new ideas and formats
we'll come up with when we have AI
to help us bring them to life.
So instead of thinking of AIas a threat, we should be thinking
of itas an opportunity.
Precisely. An opportunity topush our own creativity further.
(03:07):
Speaking of pushingboundaries, this whole thing got
methinking about authenticity. Like,
what makes a podcast great? Is it
the perfectly edited sound, or is
it that raw human connection you
get when you're listening to a conversation?
Right? And that's somethingI'm really grappling with, because
ifthe hosts aren't even human, can
you really have that same level of
connection with the audience?
(03:30):
That's a great question, andone that I'm not sure even the AI
has an answer to yet.
It really makes you wonder,where do we draw the line? Like,
willwe get to a point where podcasts
are sopolished, so perfectly produced,
thatthey lose that raw human element?
It's like, what's that saying?Too much of a good thing?
Exactly. You know, I thinkback to when I first started podcasting,
Iwas so focused on trying to sound
professional, you know, like those
big time radio hosts.
(03:57):
Oh, yeah, with the perfectdiction and everything.
Yeah, exactly. But I soundedso stiff and rehearsed, it was painful.
It wasn't until I just relaxed, let
my guard down a little, that people
really started responding to the
podcast.
So it was those imperfections,those little glimpses of your personality,
that made people connect.
Exactly. And that's what Iworry about with all this AI stuff,
that we'll lose.
(04:18):
That human element, that sparkof authenticity.
Exactly. It's like AI can helpus create amazing sounding podcasts,
butit can't replace the human heart
atthe center of it all.
So then how do we find thatbalance? How do we embrace these
newAI tools without losing what makes
podcasting special?
That's the million dollarquestion, isn't it? I don't know
ifthere's an easy answer, but I do
think it starts with being really
intentional about why we're using
AIin the first place.
(04:45):
Like, what's the goal, right?
Is it just to make thingseasier, faster, cheaper? Or are we
using AI to actually enhance our
creativity, to tell better stories,
toconnect with our audience on a deeper
level.
Because a hammer can build ahouse or it can break stuff, it all
depends on the person using it.
Exactly. And with AI, thestakes are even higher. I mean, we're
talking about a technology that can
mimic or even surpass human intelligence.
Wehave to be careful with how we use
it.
(05:12):
Which leads to anotherquestion. What about the listeners?
Howare they going to react to all of
this? Like, do people even want to
listen to AI generated podcasts?
Right? Are listeners going tobe okay with this, man, the real
deal.
And if we do start using AI inpodcasting, shouldn't we be upfront
about it? Like, should there be some
kind of disclaimer?
Transparency is definitelyimportant. Just like with any other
aspect of podcasting. If you're using
AI to help you create your show,
tellyour listeners they deserve to know.
(05:41):
But where's the line? Like,are we going to start seeing warning
labels on podcast apps? This podcast
contains AI generated voices. Listener
discretion is advised.
It's tricky, right? We don'twant to stifle innovation, but we
also don't want to mislead anyone.
Thisis uncharted territory.
Who knows? Maybe podcast appswill start categorizing podcasts
basedon how much AI was used in the making
of them.
(06:04):
It's possible. I mean, we'realready seeing AI being used for
things like content recommendations
andtargeted advertising. It wouldn't
surprise me if it eventually spills
over into how podcasts are categorized
andpresented to listeners.
There's a lot to think about.
It is. And then there's thewhole question of how AI will impact
the podcasting industry as a whole.
Right? Like, will this lead tomore opportunities for creators?
Or willAI end up replacing human podcasters
altogether?
(06:29):
Some people think we're headedfor an AI powered podcasting boom.
Lower barriers to entry, more diverse
voices, endless possibilities.
And others are worried aboutjob losses, the devaluation of human
creativity, that kind of thing.
It's definitely a time ofgreat change and uncertainty. But
if there's one thing I know for sure,
it's that AI isn't going away.
(06:50):
It's here to stay.
Exactly. And like it or not,it's going to continue to shape the
way we create, consume, and even
think about podcasts.
Well, speaking of AI andpodcasting, we haven't even gotten
tothe most meta part of the article
yet.
Oh, you mean the part wherethe author actually listens to the
AI podcast and tells us if it's any
good?
Exactly. So what did theythink? Was it any good?
Well, according to theirarticle, it was surprisingly convincing.
The AI host, they actually discussed
themain points of the article, like,
ina natural back and forth way.
(07:17):
Get out. So, like, you askquestions and everything.
Questions, answers, even alittle humor thrown in there.
Hold on. Humor? Like the AIwas making jokes.
That's what the article said.
I gotta know, was it actuallyfunny? Or like that painful kind
ofAI humor that makes you wanna hide
under a rock?
The article didn't really gointo detail about the AI's comedic
timing, but it did say that overall,
itwas really engaging to listen to,
even with a few rough edges here
andthere. Like, the pauses weren't perfect,
right?
(07:49):
That robotic cadence.
Yeah, exactly.
But still, it's pretty mindblowing creating a whole podcast
episode with AI in a few hours. I
mean, come on.
It's a game changer for sure.Especially for people who are just
starting out with podcasting or anyone
who doesn't have a ton of time or
resources.
Right? It could really opendoors for a lot of people.
Exactly. Imagine being able tojust get your ideas out there in
this really polished and engaging
way.No need for expensive equipment or
anything.
(08:17):
The democratization ofpodcasting or something.
Right. But then it also makesyou wonder, like, what happens when
everyone and their grandma can create
a professional sounding podcast,
right?
Is that a good thing or a badthing? More voices, more diversity
ofthought. That's great. But are we
gonna end up drowning in a sea of
content?
It's hard to say. It's likeopening pandora's box. In a way,
we're sticking into this uncharted
territory. It's both exciting and
alittle bit terrifying.
(08:42):
No doubt. But one thing's forsure, this AI stuff is changing the
game.
Absolutely. And it's up to allof us to figure out how we're going
to navigate this new landscape.
So, to our listeners outthere, what do you think? Are you
ready for the age of AI podcasting?
Let us know. Hit us up onsocial media. Send us an email. We
want to hear your thoughts on this
whole AI revolution.
(09:03):
And hey, maybe you'll evenhear your thoughts featured on a
future deep dive.
Who knows? Maybe we'll evenlet the AI chime in with its two
cent.
Until next time, keepexploring, keep creating, and keep
listening.
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