Acast completed an interesting survey of podcasters and listeners to gauge sentiment regarding using ChatGPT in podcasting. Use cases are not described in the results, and presumably not itemized in the survey questions. So the survey is a broad gauge of feeling about using AI in a podcast, which can mean different things among creators and listeners.
Two questions were asked. First, a morality question: “Do you think it is ethical for a podcaster to use ChatGPT or similar tools to create podcast content?”Podcasters were guilt-free for the most part; listeners more doubtful:
A second query asked respondents to imagine how ChatGPT’s participation in a podcast would change the quality level of a podcast. Here again, podcast were far more optimistic than listeners, with most of them diving into the “much better” lane:
Acast notes two takeaways from this simple survey. First, podcasters need to make a deep relationship with their listeners. “Our research illustrates just how important it is for podcasters to truly know their audience if they want to harness the benefits of AI,” says Tommy Walters, Commercial Insights Manager at Acast. “What makes podcasting so special is the intimate bond podcasters form with their listeners, which arises from authentic storytelling that fosters connection. It’s most important for podcasters not to jeopardize that bond,” he says.
Second, advertisers can use AI to improve efficiency based on listeners’ perception. The survey didn’t address advertisers directly. But Acast says they would maximize their campaigns by respecting listeners’ expectations and desires.
And the bottom line? “When it comes to using AI responsibly, it’s all about the execution.”
