Okay, so have you heard about this new AI tool, NotebookLM, fro
Google? Apparently you can make a
whole podcast, like with two hosts
in just a few hours.
Wow. So not just like generating show notes or something?
No, like a full on audio experience with distinct AI personalities
and everything. Kind of wild, right?
It is pretty wild when you think about it. It's like, what does
it even mean to be a host in the
age of AI, right?
And it's not just theoretical either. This article I was reading,
the author actually used notebook LM
to make a whole podcast called be
a better podcaster.
Oh, wow, talk about meta. A podcast about podcasting made by
a podcasting AI.
Exactly. It's like this weird AI inception thing, but it kind of
makes you think this could really
shake things up in the podcasting
world.
For sure. I mean, not everyone has a fancy studio or knows how to
use all the editing software. This
could be huge for people who want
to share their stories but find the
whole podcasting thing intimidating,
like a total game changer.
But how does it even work? You just like feed it information and
it spits out a podcast.
Pretty much. Say you find a really interesting article and you
think this would make a great conversation,
which, let's be honest, is.
How I get ideas for about half of our deep dives.
Well, there you go. So you upload the article to notebook LM,
select the audio interview option,
and boom. The AI takes over and creates
a whole conversation based on that
content.
No more spending hours editing out my rambling tangents. I'm sold.
But really, how realistic does it
actually sound? Like? Would people
actually believe it's two real people
having a conversation?
Well, according to the article, it's surprisingly convincing.
You know, AI speech synthesis has come
a long way even in the last couple
of years.
True, Siri doesn't sound quite as robotic as she used to.
Exactly. And apparently notebook LM is even better. It tries
to capture those nuances of human
conversation, like intonation and
pacing. Although the article did
say its not 100% perfect just yet.
Yeah, the author mentioned a few times where the pauses between
words were a little off, or the inflection
sounded a bit robotic. I guess were
not quite at the point where AI can
perfectly replicate the human voice.
Not yet, anyway. But even with a few imperfections, the potential
here is huge. Think about it. You could
have AI generate different versions
of your podcast in different languages
or tailored to different audiences.
That's actually amazing. Talk about expanding your reach. But it
still seems like the human touch
is important, you know, coming up with
the initial concept, giving the AI
direction, and actually promoting
the podcast.
Oh, absolutely. This isn't about replacing human creativity,
it's about augmenting it. Like giving
creators a powerful new tool to work
with.
It's like AI can handle the technical side of things, so we're
free to focus on the creative side.
Exactly. It's about working smarter, not harder. And who knows
what amazing new ideas and formats
we'll come up with when we have AI
to help us bring them to life.
So instead of thinking of AI as a threat, we should be thinking
of it as an opportunity.
Precisely. An opportunity to push our own creativity further.
Speaking of pushing boundaries, this whole thing got
me thinking about authenticity. Like,
what makes a podcast great? Is it
the perfectly edited sound, or is
it that raw human connection you
get when you're listening to a conversation?
Right? And that's something I'm really grappling with, because
if the hosts aren't even human, can
you really have that same level of
connection with the audience?
That's a great question, and one that I'm not sure even the AI
has an answer to yet.
It really makes you wonder, where do we draw the line? Like,
will we get to a point where podcasts
are so polished, so perfectly produced,
that they lose that raw human element?
It's like, what's that saying? Too much of a good thing?
Exactly. You know, I think back to when I first started podcasting,
I was so focused on trying to sound
professional, you know, like those
big time radio hosts.
Oh, yeah, with the perfect diction and everything.
Yeah, exactly. But I sounded so stiff and rehearsed, it was painful.
It wasn't until I just relaxed, let
my guard down a little, that people
really started responding to the
podcast.
So it was those imperfections, those little glimpses of your personality,
that made people connect.
Exactly. And that's what I worry about with all this AI stuff,
that we'll lose.
That human element, that spark of authenticity.
Exactly. It's like AI can help us create amazing sounding podcasts,
but it can't replace the human heart
at the center of it all.
So then how do we find that balance? How do we embrace these
new AI tools without losing what makes
podcasting special?
That's the million dollar question, isn't it? I don't know
if there's an easy answer, but I do
think it starts with being really
intentional about why we're using
AI in the first place.
Like, what's the goal, right?
Is it just to make things easier, faster, cheaper? Or are we
using AI to actually enhance our
creativity, to tell better stories,
to connect with our audience on a deeper
level.
Because a hammer can build a house or it can break stuff, it all
depends on the person using it.
Exactly. And with AI, the stakes are even higher. I mean, we're
talking about a technology that can
mimic or even surpass human intelligence.
We have to be careful with how we use
it.
Which leads to another question. What about the listeners?
How are they going to react to all of
this? Like, do people even want to
listen to AI generated podcasts?
Right? Are listeners going to be okay with this, man, the real
deal.
And if we do start using AI in podcasting, shouldn't we be upfront
about it? Like, should there be some
kind of disclaimer?
Transparency is definitely important. Just like with any other
aspect of podcasting. If you're using
AI to help you create your show,
tell your listeners they deserve to know.
But where's the line? Like, are we going to start seeing warning
labels on podcast apps? This podcast
contains AI generated voices. Listener
discretion is advised.
It's tricky, right? We don't want to stifle innovation, but we
also don't want to mislead anyone.
This is uncharted territory.
Who knows? Maybe podcast apps will start categorizing podcasts
based on how much AI was used in the making
of them.
It's possible. I mean, we're already seeing AI being used for
things like content recommendations
and targeted advertising. It wouldn't
surprise me if it eventually spills
over into how podcasts are categorized
and presented to listeners.
There's a lot to think about.
It is. And then there's the whole question of how AI will impact
the podcasting industry as a whole.
Right? Like, will this lead to more opportunities for creators?
Or will AI end up replacing human podcasters
altogether?
Some people think we're headed for an AI powered podcasting boom.
Lower barriers to entry, more diverse
voices, endless possibilities.
And others are worried about job losses, the devaluation of human
creativity, that kind of thing.
It's definitely a time of great change and uncertainty. But
if there's one thing I know for sure,
it's that AI isn't going away.
It's here to stay.
Exactly. And like it or not, it's going to continue to shape the
way we create, consume, and even
think about podcasts.
Well, speaking of AI and podcasting, we haven't even gotten
to the most meta part of the article
yet.
Oh, you mean the part where the author actually listens to the
AI podcast and tells us if it's any
good?
Exactly. So what did they think? Was it any good?
Well, according to their article, it was surprisingly convincing.
The AI host, they actually discussed
the main points of the article, like,
in a natural back and forth way.
Get out. So, like, you ask questions and everything.
Questions, answers, even a little humor thrown in there.
Hold on. Humor? Like the AI was making jokes.
That's what the article said.
I gotta know, was it actually funny? Or like that painful kind
of AI humor that makes you wanna hide
under a rock?
The article didn't really go into detail about the AI's comedic
timing, but it did say that overall,
it was really engaging to listen to,
even with a few rough edges here
and there. Like, the pauses weren't perfect,
right?
That robotic cadence.
Yeah, exactly.
But still, it's pretty mind blowing creating a whole podcast
episode with AI in a few hours. I
mean, come on.
It's a game changer for sure. Especially for people who are just
starting out with podcasting or anyone
who doesn't have a ton of time or
resources.
Right? It could really open doors for a lot of people.
Exactly. Imagine being able to just get your ideas out there in
this really polished and engaging
way. No need for expensive equipment or
anything.
The democratization of podcasting or something.
Right. But then it also makes you wonder, like, what happens when
everyone and their grandma can create
a professional sounding podcast,
right?
Is that a good thing or a bad thing? More voices, more diversity
of thought. That's great. But are we
gonna end up drowning in a sea of
content?
It's hard to say. It's like opening pandora's box. In a way,
we're sticking into this uncharted
territory. It's both exciting and
a little bit terrifying.
No doubt. But one thing's for sure, this AI stuff is changing the
game.
Absolutely. And it's up to all of us to figure out how we're going
to navigate this new landscape.
So, to our listeners out there, what do you think? Are you
ready for the age of AI podcasting?
Let us know. Hit us up on social media. Send us an email. We
want to hear your thoughts on this
whole AI revolution.
And hey, maybe you'll even hear your thoughts featured on a
future deep dive.
Who knows? Maybe we'll even let the AI chime in with its two
cent.
Until next time, keep exploring, keep creating, and keep
listening.