A radio station in Australia is facing backlash for using an AI-generated host for a programme without disclosing it to listeners. CADA, a Sydney-based radio station owned by the Australian Radio Network (ARN), created an AI avatar to present a four-hour weekday show broadcast to Western Sydney and available on the iHeartRadio app.
The show called Workdays with Thy featured a radio jockey named Thy who had been presenting the show for nearly six months since Nvember 2024, according to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald.
“Every weekday from 11am-3pm while you are at work, driving around, doing the commute on public transport or at uni, Thy will be playing you the hottest tracks from around the world,” read the description of the show on the CADA website.
“Curated by our music experts, these are the songs that are charting or on the cusp of blowing up…so if you’re day is looking a bit bleh, let Thy and CADA be the energy and vibe to get your mood lifted,” it added.
However, at no point during the show, nor anywhere on the ARN website, was the use of AI disclosed, leading to backlash from listeners.
Also Read | Google DeepMind CEO On What Keeps Him Up At Night: “AGI Is Coming, Society’s Not Ready”
It was revealed that the radio station used ElevenLabs – a generative AI audio platform that transforms text into speech, to create Thy. The AI avatar’s likeness and voice were based on a real employee in the ARN finance team.
“We’ve been trialling AI audio tools on CADA, using the voice of Thy, an ARN team member. This is a space being explored by broadcasters globally, and the trial has offered valuable insights,” an ARN spokesperson confirmed the use of AI.
Voicing her criticism, Teresa Lim, the vice president of the Australian Association of Voice Actors, said the incident highlighted the need for necessary legislation around AI.
“Authenticity and truth are so important for broadcast media. The public deserves to know what the source is of what’s being broadcast. We need to have these discussions now before AI becomes so advanced that it’s too difficult to regulate.”
As per The Australian Financial Review, the AI-hosted show had reached at least 72,000 people in last month’s ratings.
