AI in Radio: Why This Still Doesn’t Sit Right

The backlash ARN are facing over their AI radio host doesn’t surprise me. For anyone who missed the story, ARN launched an AI-generated host on one of their digital stations – modelled on an Asian woman – without telling listeners it was AI.

That’s where the problem lies.

Lying To The Audience Crosses The Line

I get that it’s a programming grey area. If you tell the audience the host is AI, they won’t listen. Who’s really tuning in to hear a robot present songs between ad breaks? But if you don’t tell them, and they find out later – well, you end up exactly where ARN are now: in the middle of a backlash that probably could have been avoided.

This whole situation raises the bigger question…

Where Does AI Fit In Radio Now?

For me, AI in radio is fine in the background. Use it for scripting ads, voicing commercials, creating fake listener liners for imaging. Even helping human hosts draft their links faster. All that? Fine. The industry can handle it, and most listeners will never know.

But AI on-air? As a “host”? We are not ready for that. The industry isn’t. The listeners aren’t. It’s too soon.

My Concern With AI In Radio

My biggest concern isn’t just the jobs AI could replace (though, let’s be honest, that’s a huge part of it). It’s about authenticity and integrity – for the stations themselves.

If you’re lying to your audience about something as basic as who’s talking to them, you’re eroding trust. And radio, more than any other medium, is built on trust and connection.

I understand the business side. Radio stations are brutally cutting costs right now. I’ve seen it firsthand. If there’s a way to save money, it’s being looked at. And if AI can help a station cut costs elsewhere – maybe reduce the size of a commercial production team by using AI voices and writers for ads – I get it. From a business point of view, it makes sense.

But putting AI on-air and pretending it’s human? That’s too far.

Are We Ready For AI?

We’re not ready for AI hosts. Not for another 10-20 years minimum. It feels too fake, too futuristic, and the audience will reject it the moment they find out.

Radio still works because of the human connection. The quirks, the stumbles, the personality. AI might get good at faking that one day – but right now, it’s not even close.

So if you’re thinking about putting AI on-air – think again. Or at least be honest about it. Because your audience deserves to know.