Would you listen to an AI radio announcer? Some in the region have been for months

The use of an AI announcer on a radio station in Woodstock, Ont., has been met with mixed reactions from listeners according to the owner of the station, but he says it isn't going anywhere.

Over the past year, listeners who have tuned into 104.7 Heart FM during the late night hours may have noticed an artificial voice reading weather forecasts, introducing songs, and presenting short news stories.

According to Chris Byrnes, the owner of Byrnes Communications Inc. which operates Heart FM, it's by design that the announcer's artificial nature is apparent from the moment it begins speaking.

"We've been very upfront. We're not trying to hide or do anything like that," said Byrnes, a broadcaster with decades of experience who also operates 105.1 The River in Niagara Falls, and 101.1 More FM in Fort Erie.

"104.7 Heart FM, with AI Cleo," the AI host said in the early morning hours of Sunday, Aug. 18, before reading a news story about an Olympic medal dispute involving Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu and U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles.

The AI's delivery, packaged in a monotone and clearly computer-generated voice, meandered through the story for roughly 30 seconds, struggling at times with pronunciation, before introducing another song and fading out.

"We've heard from both sides of the aisle, so to speak. There are some people who will reach out to us saying, 'Why are you replacing, Canadian announcers with an artificial voice?'" Byrnes said.

He also said other listeners have contacted the station to express interest and share positive feedback.

Whatever the reaction, though, Byrnes said it's not about replacement, but rather supplementing what's already there using the technology that's available. No announcers have been replaced and the number of people employed in those roles at his company hasn't changed, he said.

"My commitment to my staff was that we didn't implement this because we thought we would be able to get rid of staff. Our idea was to actually, provide a better product in those overnights." Byrnes said, adding that there's a sizeable audience during overnight hours who now benefit from weather updates and more general information where they didn't exist prior.

He also said that weather updates and news stories that are read by AI announcers on his stations are hand-written by news staff to avoid the inaccuracies that AI-based platforms have in some cases become known for.

Other radio companies in Canada like Rogers Media are experimenting with AI on air as well. The trend also extends to other countries across the world.

Tech analyst on board

The care and transparency Byrnes says he's taking in how his company approaches the question of AI in media is crucial, according to Carmi Levy. 

He's a technology analyst and journalist whose work focuses on the way technology changes how people work and live, and he said it's critical to stay "on the right side of the moral line" when it comes to AI that can mimic humans.

"In this particular case it looks like all of the boxes have been checked and they've gone overboard to ensure listeners are aware of what's going on," he said.

When it comes to new technology, he believes it's the companies that embrace and find ways to use it ethically are likely to come out ahead, Levy said.

"If we look around our communities we see so many examples of smaller businesses using AI in creative ways to get ahead. I think this is an excellent example of that," he said. "It encourages me and means there's a spirit of innovation in our community."

"There certainly is great risk associated with AI, but it also holds great promise to benefit us. Rumours of a dystopian AI future are largely exaggerated."

Concerns from media union

On the other hand, the president of a union that represents thousands of Canadian journalists and broadcasters says while the level of transparency Byrnes's stations employ is an important step, concerns remain.

"There are still lots of conversations to be had before we start making use of this technology in a wider way," said Annick Forest, the president of the Canadian Media Guild, which represents roughly 6,000 workers at outlets like CBC, TVO, The Canadian Press, and more.

She said a particular concern of hers comes from the currency of stories AI announcers read, which may be written by a human, but outdated by the time they go to air. 

Forest also expressed concerns for workers at radio stations and media companies without union representation.

"We [unions] are not there to block technological advances, we just want to make sure that they're used appropriately and that workers are protected," she said. She also added that AI is an important and recurring topic of discussion between unions and companies across the media landscape, particularly when it comes to job security and the replacement of human workers.

As for Byrnes and his radio stations, the broadcaster says his company will continue to explore AI as a tool to enrich its stations, as will other broadcasters he's spoken to. 

"The one thing I don't think will change is the local announcers who live in Woodstock, who are on the air at Heart FM," he said. 

"They live, they shop, they play, and they're involved in the community. They bring that content and put it on the air. It's why that radio station has 130,000 listeners a week tuning into it, because it is so focused on what's important to Oxford County."