Facepalm: AI radio host fools Australian listeners for months

Radio listeners in Australia were unwittingly tuning into an AI-generated host for months, highlighting how synthetic media can seamlessly integrate into daily entertainment without disclosure. The revelation about CADA radio station’s “Workdays with Thy” program demonstrates the increasingly undetectable nature of AI-generated content in mainstream media and raises important questions about transparency and authenticity in broadcasting.

The big picture: An Australian radio station has been broadcasting a show hosted by an AI-generated voice for months without informing listeners that “Thy” wasn’t a real person.

• The four-hour show on Sydney station CADA features hip hop, R&B, and pop music curated by human staff but hosted by an artificial voice created using ElevenLabs.
• According to reports from Australian Financial Review and The Sydney Morning Herald, the show reaches an estimated audience of at least 72,000 people, none of whom were explicitly told they were listening to synthetic media.

Behind the technology: ARN Media, CADA’s owner, confirmed the AI host’s voice and persona are modeled after a real employee in the company’s finance department.

• The AI-hosted program first appeared on CADA’s website in November 2024 but contained no disclosure about the synthetic nature of its presenter.
• The station’s description misleadingly implies a human connection, stating listeners can “hear it first with Thy so you can boast to your friends.”

Industry reactions: Voice acting professionals have condemned the lack of transparency as deceptive and potentially harmful.

• Teresa Lim, vice president of the Australian Association of Voice Actors, criticized ARN Media on LinkedIn, stating that “Australian listeners deserve honesty and upfront disclosure instead of a lack of transparency.”
• ARN CEO Ciaran Davis offered a tepid response to the Financial Review, saying: “We’re trying to understand what’s real and what’s not. What we’ve learned is the power of the announcers we have.”

Why this matters: The undisclosed use of AI in broadcasting represents a growing trend of synthetic media integration without consumer awareness.

• This follows other recent examples, including Microsoft only recently revealing it used AI to create a Surface ad that debuted in January.
• Similar experiments with AI hosts have occurred at radio stations in Portland, Oregon and at Sirius XM, while a Polish station’s attempt to replace journalists with AI hosts was abandoned after public backlash.