175 Will Podcasting Survive the AI Invasion? How Human Podcast Hosts Win Every Time
Jan 24, 2023
It’s an invasion! AI is going to take all of our jobs! Grab your homestead now while you still can…
Okay, so it’s not quite time to panic about how Artificial Intelligence is going to decimate the economy and take all of our jobs.
But, it is time for us podcasters to pay attention because AI can help us but it can also hurt us. It’s actually such a big topic that I’m dedicating two episodes (and a bonus episode in between) to it. Stay tuned for part two and AI’s contribution.
In this episode we talk about you, the podcast host. Can you be replaced by AI?
Absolutely! Robots are coming for your job! AI can write a podcast script and voice it (now with more emotion than ever). You’d be shocked at how far AI scripts and voices have come when you know how to manipulate the input! Shocked!
The good news is that there are several ways that AI hosts suck compared to human podcast hosts.
First, they are not human. As in, they are not YOU and in my opinion, that’s a big deal. Listeners can get facts from anywhere. They tune in because they want to hear these from you, they want to get to know you. They do that when you share your ideas, your stories and anecdotes, your experiences. That’s how they get to know you.
Most of the podcasters that I work with are podcasting to build authority – either for themselves or their brand – which means that THEY are a big part of the secret sauce that makes their podcast valuable. I also work with a handful of podcasters who are podcasting as a business – meaning they are selling ad space on their podcast or attracting sponsors – you guessed it the key ingredient in that secret sauce is also THEM.
No robot can replace you because you have a unique personality and you have stories and anecdotes from your lived experience to share.
This is where the authenticity comes from. This is what your audience wants.
Let’s talk for a quick sec about authenticity – I think this is one of the biggest questions you have to ask yourself if you’re thinking about replacing yourself (or starting a podcast) with an AI generated voice or script. Here’s the question: will your listener be upset when they discover that it’s not a real voice or that you’re presenting ideas and opinions you didn’t come up with yourself?
It’s all about trust. An authority building podcast requires the trust of the audience. If they don’t trust you how will they ever believe you or like you (or buy from you)?
If you know me at all then you know I’m all about listener-centric podcasting. So ask yourself, who are you serving when you use AI to host or script your podcast? I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it’s not the listener!
The trust goes both ways. You have to trust that your listener wants to hear from YOU. And that comes from you engaging with your audience. This is another way that human hosts are better than AI podcast hosts. They can show up and connect with the listener.
It’s not just your ideas, stories, and opinions or your ability to connect and engage it’s also your humanity.
Your audience can hear your human-ness in your emotions, your inflections, and reactions. This is what draws them in. AI can’t do that.
And finally, for all of you that interview guests, you may be thinking that you’re free and clear from being overtake by AI. You’re only partially right. With good production, AI could create a very compelling interview podcast.
Here’s where you can shine as a human host - make sure you stay present and engaged. If you read the questions in front of you without reacting to your guest’s answers then you could easily be replaced by an AI host. Be a part of the conversation. Jump on opportunities to be spontaneous. React with your full attention.
These are things AI can’t quite yet do. If you’re struggling with being THIS human in your interviews, I can help. Grab your free 15-minute coaching call.
So, to recap - if you want to be avoid losing your audience to podcast written and hosted by artificial intengence, then crank up what makes you uniquely you.
- Share personal stories and unique ideas
- Be authentic and engaged
- Connect with your audience beyond the podcast
- Put some life into your delivery including emotion and even stumbles
- Be present in interviews and take advantage of opportunities to follow where the conversation goes, even if it’s not what you AI produced questions say you should do
If you do these things then you can rest assured that AI is not going to steal your audience. Nobody can replace YOU as long as YOU show up every episode.
If you haven’t subscribed yet, make sure you do because in my next episode I’m going to share what AI tools you can and should be using in your podcast production process and which ones you should stay the hell away from! I’ll even reveal what AI tools I use – some of them for years!
Plus, I’m dropping a bonus episode that is 100% AI produced… I really hope you don’t like it as much as you like me!
Subscribe so you don’t miss these or any of my future, human hosted, human created podcasts.
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