No. AI ISN'T THE VILLAIN IN RADIO...THIS IS

Lately we’ve seen some big national radio groups planting their flag:

“No AI voices. Guaranteed human.” I’m all in on the human part.

But “human” has to mean more than “not a robot.” It should mean a real person who actually knows the streets, schools, and businesses they’re talking about. Radio wins when a live, local voice is having a conversation with a community — not when the same handful of voices are piped into dozens of markets, reading breaks written three time zones away. Listeners can smell that kind of “fake local” a mile away. Where I disagree is with the idea that “AI is bad, full stop.”

The problem has never been the tool. The problem is when we use any tool—automation, syndication, voicetracking, or AI—to create generic, disconnected content that doesn’t serve local listeners or advertisers. In my world, AI isn’t a robot DJ.

It’s a power tool in a human creator’s hands: 

• Faster spec spots so AEs can pitch more business
• Custom jingles and audio branding that sound like a national campaign on a local budget
• More versions, more testing, more ideas for clients in tough economic times

 Human creativity + smart tools = better results for local businesses who still trust radio to move the needle. If you’re a PD, GM, or AE who wants to grow the bottom line without sacrificing that human connection, that’s literally what I do every day with my clients. You can hear what human-first, AI-enhanced audio sounds like at SonicAttention.com.

Let’s build campaigns that are proudly human and proudly innovative. (You can add your email at the end if you want: joecrashkelley1@gmail.com.)