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AI-Generated Podcasts Are Now Everywhere
Slop talk // Illustration by Kate Walker
It’s not just you — there’s been an explosion of AI-generated podcasts this year.
Why It Hurts: AI is disrupting various entertainment formats at different levels, but podcasts have always seemed engineered to be the easiest to replicate — it’s just audio. As streaming platforms become flooded with AI-generated shows, it may become harder for users to tell what’s real.
Between The Ears: According to Bloomberg, we’re entering the age of “podslop.”
A study by open-source podcasting company Podcast Index found that of the 10,871 new podcasts created over the past couple of weeks, roughly 4,243 (39%) were likely AI-generated.
One company, Inception Point AI, has made around 10,000 active shows over the past year alone — with thousands launched in just recent weeks.
Individual creators are also scaling output with AI. Adam Levy’s fully AI-generated The Epstein Files briefly topped Apple Podcasts charts, and he now plans to produce up to 120 episodes a month.
Even blue-chip firms are contributing to the trend — Amazon has released a feature that explains products by generating a podcast-style conversation between two AI hosts.
Last Listen: Currently, the major audio streaming services don’t have robust protections against the rise of podslop. On Apple, creators simply have to disclose that AI was used and that the content isn’t misleading. Spotify, meanwhile, just requires that creators aren’t deceptive. But Bloomberg notes that things get trickier when advertising enters the picture. iHeartMedia’s Spreaker allows AI-generated shows to monetize through its programmatic ad marketplace, while competitor RSS.com does not.
Soon, where you listen to your podcasts may determine how much podslop you encounter.
The Future: Prepare for brands to put added pressure on streaming services and podcast networks to keep their ads off AI-generated content… which may prove difficult to enforce.
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Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.