AI Radio Host Fools Australian Listeners for Months

```html

AI Host Deceives Australian Radio Audience for Months

For months, an AI-generated voice, disguised as a young presenter named "Thy," hosted a daily show on the Australian radio station CADA. The case raises questions about transparency and the impact of AI in the media.

The show "Workdays with Thy" ran for four hours every weekday since last November. The alleged presenter's short speaking time was noticeable. She rarely spoke, mostly to announce music tracks, and her voice always sounded almost identical. The author of the Australian newsletter "The Carpet" became suspicious because there was no press release about the new show nor any social media activity from Thy. A biography of the presenter was also missing. Investigations revealed that Thy could not be found on the CADA intranet and no employee had ever seen her in person.

The Australian Radio Network (ARN) media group, to which CADA belongs, finally confirmed the use of AI to the Australian Financial Review. ARN stated that it was exploring the use of new technologies to enhance the listening experience. The study with Thy had provided valuable insights and underscored the unique value of human personalities in content creation.

Employee's Voice and Image as Basis

ARN confirmed that the voice and photo of "Thy" came from an employee in the finance department. She provided the image and voice, which were then used by the AI voice generator Elevenlabs to generate the presentations. Elevenlabs had previously publicized its collaboration with ARN.

The author of "The Carpet" questioned the economic viability of using AI. She estimated that the cost of the AI software is not significantly lower than the salary of a young radio presenter. Human presenters could also take on additional tasks, such as conducting interviews. ARN presumably hoped for scaling effects by having one AI replace several presenters, as well as avoiding sick leave and salary demands of established presenters.

Criticism of Lack of Transparency

The case triggered a media outcry and loss of trust. Teresa Lim, vice president of the Australian Association of Voice Actors (AAVA), criticized ARN's lack of transparency. She emphasized that Australian listeners have a right to honesty and disclosure. Numerous media outlets reported on the "AI radio scandal." Journalists from Nine News Australia saw a red line crossed because the AI did not just take on supporting tasks, but completely replaced the presenter's activity.

Similar Case in Poland

A comparable project by the Polish station Off Radio Krakau was discontinued after only one week. There, the AI had even generated a fictitious interview with the deceased Nobel Prize winner in Literature, Wislawa Szymborska, which also caused criticism. The "Thy" case highlights the ethical and societal questions associated with the use of AI in the media.

Bibliographie: https://www.all-ai.de/news/topbeitraege/unglaublich-ki-moderator-begeistert-tausende-%E2%80%93-keiner-merkt%E2%80%99s https://social.heise.de/@heiseonline/114405109961483660 https://www.cryptopolitan.com/de/australian-radio-ai-dj-months/ https://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2025-04/65223812-krypto-news-australischer-radiosender-setzt-ki-moderator-ein-neue-aera-fuer-die-krypto-und-medienwelt-303.htm https://www.reddit.com/r/artificial/comments/1k7na0n/an_aigenerated_radio_host_in_australia_went/?tl=de https://katzlberger.ai/2023/08/07/die-stimme-des-fortschritts-swr3-testet-ki-radiomoderation/ https://www.zdnet.de/88417513/absolut-radio-ai-ki-moderator-kai-bekommt-mit-ki-aileen-neue-kollegin/ https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/1k7orlg/an_aigenerated_radio_host_in_australia_went/?tl=de ```