- Alexa+ can now quickly create personalized AI podcasts for you
- Meanwhile, Spotify labels AI-created podcasts
- An increasing number of new podcasts are generated with AI
We’re already past the stage where AI models can create compelling audio podcasts, led by compelling AI presenters, and there are a couple of new additions this week that will jump in and fight the growing onslaught of AI podcasts (aka ‘podslop’, if you’re not a fan).
First, Amazon has given Alexa+ new powers to create personalized podcasts based on your direction. Whether you want to dive into Roman history, a roundup of the best new music releases, sports previews, or anything else, Alexa+ can give you podcast-style audio exploration in just a few minutes.
I’m not a fan of AI podcasts (more on that later), but I have to give Amazon credit for partnering with real news organizations, including PakGazette and the Washington Post, to produce this audio. Are editors and creators really getting paid while AI extracts and repackages their work? What’s next?
This is only in the US for now, and as I’m in the UK I haven’t been able to test it, but the examples Amazon has provided seem pretty solid – the podcasts are similar in style and tone to what we’ve already heard from apps like NotebookLM.
Wait a minute, IA
As Amazon pushes AI podcasts, Spotify is putting the brakes on, or at least making it easier to spot, these pods. Following its AI verification scheme for music, launched earlier this month, Spotify now uses the same badges on podcast content.
You’ll start to see light green badges that say “Verified by Spotify,” which are used for podcasts where Spotify has confirmed who the hosts and editors behind the show are. The idea is to protect listeners from fake content that could be misleading or dangerous, Spotify says, while also helping creators maintain their audiences.
“This indicates that the show has been reviewed against Spotify’s authenticity and trust standards, helping listeners understand who they’re listening to 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 survey suggested that around 39% of new podcasts are generated by AI, and I’m glad to see Spotify helping us sort through the real stuff. I’d rather listen to something with real personality and insight behind it, rather than a machine-made amalgam of mined and polished content into a flat, generic audio episode.
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