Over a third of new podcast episodes are now AI-generated

The age of “two dudes talking into microphones” is evolving into “two robots pretending to be two dudes talking into microphones.”

• A growing number of tools are now able to turn text, links, or notes into realistic conversations between two or more AI-generated “hosts.”
• The result is a flood of new podcast shows and episodes created with little to no human involvement.

By the numbers

An estimated 39% of all new podcast episodes published over a nine-day period in April were likely AI-generated—4,243 out of 10,871—according to a Bloomberg report (gift link) citing data from an open-source tracking platform called the Podcast Index.

A startup named Inception Point AI is at the forefront, reportedly producing 3,000 episodes/week across 4,000+ different shows at a cost of $1 or less per episode, according to a recent CNN interview.

But…It’s not exactly quality listening. The recent trend has given rise to the term “podslop,” used to describe fully automated content with no human review, often marked by inaccuracies and oddly-familiar-sounding synthetic voices.

Platforms are rushing to respond. Apple Podcasts now requires creators to disclose when a “material portion” of a show is AI-generated, and also bans deceptive content. Spotify hasn’t issued any specific rules discouraging AI-generated content, but it enforces broader policies around misleading material.

Zoom out: AI-generated content is becoming increasingly common online, with similar increases in AI usage seen across the music, artwork, and even social media influencing industries.