Ginni Saraswati is the founder and CEO of Ginni Media, cofounder of The Podcast Accelerator and host of The Ginni Show.
The warning for the last 50-plus years has been that AI is coming for us all. As the CEO of a podcast production company, I’ve often thought that some new technology would send me and my team of writers and creators packing. So far, we’re still here. And there’s a good reason for that: Producing is an art form, and top-rated podcasts take a village. The human touch matters. And it will continue to matter.
Earlier this year, an episode of the podcast The New Way We Work featured Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, author of I, Human: AI, Automation, and the Quest to Reclaim What Makes Us Unique. He said, “Humans will always crave human affection, human understanding.” He added that even if future iterations are improved, AI will never be able to care in the same way that humans can.
For aspiring podcasters, the allure of AI podcast production is understandably a consideration. Primarily because (at first glance) it costs less. But trust me when I tell you that it’ll cost you more than you bargained for in time and the old adage—you get what you pay for—comes into play.
Here’s why the human touch still matters in podcasting:
1. Things can get missed.
Small things add up, ultimately making what you’re putting all that sweat equity into feel, and sound, less professional. Common issues include abrupt audio transitions, literal (rather than creative) sound effects and AI-generated voiceovers that don’t instinctively know which words or phrases to annunciate and to what degree. Oh, and then there’s fact-checking, which depending on the nature of your podcast, could justify a full-time (human) job.
2. There’s no real customer service feature.
When was the last time you called a company and actually talked to a human? It can be frustrating when you get a robot because you feel like your problem doesn’t matter. Often, the whole process ends up costing you more time because, before you can find a solution to your problem, you first have to figure out how to bypass the technology to reach a warm-blooded mortal.
Podcasting is a highly technical media endeavor. It’s a far cry from making a mixtape. If you’re not technically inclined and you don’t know how audio storytelling works—I say this with real human empathy—I don’t envy what lies ahead for you. With a sparsely staffed software company, there’s no one to call when you have technical issues.
3. You’re on your own in terms of creative direction.
If you were to compare storytelling to the colors of the rainbow, then relying on AI to write an episode would look a lot like the Pantone swatch Air Force Blue. It’s a murky shade of blue-gray that’s meant to blend in with the surroundings and go unseen, but that’s the opposite of what you want for a podcast.
The unique thing about audio is that people are often multitasking. Your audience could be listening to you on their way to work, as they’re jogging through the park or while they cook dinner. Engaging storytelling is what keeps them invested. When a digital “brain” is in the driver’s seat, you miss the opportunity to ideate with media professionals and writers on how to attract—and keep—listeners’ attention.
Technology is amazing. But humanness is a miracle. As Sanjay Gupta writes in his book, Strings of the Soul, “A well-sculpted mind is a work of art, but a loving heart is an instance of divinity.”
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