Meet the latest weapon in the GenAI arms race: NotebookLM, a tool made by Google that can take a text source and turn it into a podcast featuring two voices discussing the topic. Rather than sounding like Kitt from Knight Rider, they are realistic voices engaged in (almost) realistic conversation. And I’m equally impressed and petrified.
So, if machines can now remove podcasters from the podcast production line, will this turn the whole industry on its head?
One thing to consider is this. The main reason people listen to podcasts is to learn, according to Pew Research Center data from the States. And if you have informative text content already written, you could easily use the tool to spin up a quick podcast as an additional access point for people to consume, with very little work.
But the beauty of podcasting isn't its convenience, it's the personal connection it builds between creator and listener. Think back to school for a minute. Your favourite teacher was probably the one who engaged you and made the class relevant, not the one who did the bare minimum. And whether you listen to a podcast to learn, to laugh, or to be gripped by a powerful story, there's one common denominator — the people in front of the microphone. The real human beings, the flesh and blood people who bring it all to life.
Who’s in charge?
Creatives have a moral dilemma. Do we use AI tools and, if so, to what extent? Personally, I'm already using GenAI as part of my day-to-day work, but I remain the creator. That only changes when a robot is powerful enough to rip the pen or the microphone from my cold dead hands.
I'm not complacent though. Anyone who ignores the capability – or even the existence – of GenAI tools is doomed to become a victim of them. The way we create is inevitably changing and, try as you might, that genie isn't going back into the bottle. It means we have to think differently, but we're still thinking. We must create differently, but we're still creating. And even if AI is an assistant, it should never be the protagonist.
If I have a dense research paper in front of me, I'd love to have two hosts jovially explain the concepts contained within it rather than read it myself if I’m short on time. But I can't ever see a world where an AI hosted podcast tops the charts.
The art of creativity
I'm always experimenting and exploring what AI can do for me; it's a fun time of discovery. What I've learned that while AI can technically produce things with a specific purpose, it can never truly create things artistically.
There is indeed an art to creating good content and I don't think GenAI has quite mastered it yet. While it tries, let's celebrate not just the outputs but the people making them — with love, with flair, with panache.
At Edelman, we’re excited about the craft of making podcasts and the role of humans in the creative process. There are some things that can never be outsourced, and we always want to put our minds and hands to work to ensure a project is as creative as it can be. The aim is always to make podcasts that people genuinely want to listen to, rather than content that simply fills a void.
GenAI tools are getting better all the time, but if they cause our individual creativity to diminish, rather than flourish, we must ask serious questions about why and how we use them.