- Alexa+ can now quickly create custom AI podcasts for you
- Meanwhile, Spotify brands podcasts made by AI
- An increasing number of new podcasts are AI-generated
We’re now well past the stage where AI models can create compelling audio podcasts, powered by compelling AI hosts – and there are a few developments this week that will add to and fight back against the growing deluge of AI podcasts (aka ‘podslop’ if you’re not a fan).
First of all, Amazon has given Alexa+ new powers to create custom podcasts based on your prompts. Whether you want a dive into Roman history, a roundup of the best new music releases, sports previews, or something else, Alexa+ can serve up a podcast-style audio exploration in just a few minutes.
I’m not a fan of AI podcasts myself — more on that later — but I have to give credit to Amazon for actually partnering with real news organizations, including Pakinomist and the Washington Post, to produce this audio. Do publishers and creators actually get paid when AI scrapes and repackages their work? So what now?
This is US only for now, and since I’m in the UK I haven’t been able to try it, but the examples Amazon has provided seem solid enough: the podcasts are similar in style and tone to what we’ve already heard from apps like NotebookLM.
Wait a minute, AI
While Amazon is pushing AI podcasts forward, Spotify is putting the brakes on — or at least making it easier to spot these pods. Following on from its AI verification scheme for music launched earlier this month, Spotify is now using the same badges on podcast content.
You’ll start seeing light green badges that say ‘Verified by Spotify’ on them, used for podcasts where Spotify has verified who the hosts and publishers behind the show are. The idea is to protect listeners from fake content that could be misleading or dangerous, Spotify says, while helping creators retain their audience.
“It signals that the show has been reviewed against Spotify’s standards of authenticity and trust, helping listeners understand who they’re hearing, while giving creators a clear, credible way to establish their identity on our platform,” Spotify explains, adding that listener activity and audience authenticity are also taken into account.
A recent study suggested that around 39% of new podcasts are AI-generated, and I’m glad to see Spotify helping us sort out the real stuff. I’d much rather listen to something with real personality and knowledge behind it, rather than a machine-made amalgamation of scraped content polished up into a generic, flat audio episode.
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