A podcast created entirely by artificial intelligence? Audio production company This Is Distorted is leaning into the AI craze.
Synthetic Stories, a podcast series scripted by generative AI with sound design engineered entirely by machines, released its first episode last week. According to the company’s press release, which was also entirely written by an AI chatbot, “the only human touch is our PR representative, Becky.”
The podcast will deliver a variety of short fiction stories ranging from science-fiction thrillers to affecting dramas.
“Synthetic Stories is a testament to the power of artificial intelligence and its potential to revolutionise the world of media and entertainment,” writes the AI in the show’s press release. “By harnessing the creative power of AI, the series promises to push the boundaries of what’s possible in storytelling.”
Review: ‘second-rate fan fiction’
The first episode, “Amelia”, is described as a “chilling horror tale” about a young woman who becomes obsessed with a new AI-made horror podcast that appears to be creating content based on her own life.
The metafictional story is not likely to win any awards, in this listener’s opinion. While the AI scriptwriter was certainly able to craft a narrative with a decent, if predictable, story structure as well as use fairly good diction, the writing itself still leaves something to be desired. It comes across as more second-rate fan fiction than an episode of The Twilight Zone or Black Mirror. Still, it is impressive to know that AI is capable of crafting stories (likely in mere seconds) that could likely outdo many an amateur writer’s weeks of work.
The AI-generated audio design is also not bad. While some of its attempts to punctuate parts of the story that are particularly dramatic can be a bit overdone, turning what might otherwise be an interesting dramatic moment into melodrama, the AI is able to pick up on dramatic beats. For instance, when the eponymous character receives a notification on her phone, the AI sound designer placed in the noise of a phone vibrating.
AI everywhere all at once
Synthetic Stories stands as the latest example of the ways in which the media industry is seeking to leverage AI to assist in the creative process.
Earlier this week, the Writer’s Guild of America proposed allowing artificial intelligence to write scripts as long as it does not impact writer’s credentials or residuals. The move implies a tacit understanding that AI is likely to be used in the writing process—if not in scripting shows and films altogether—and that its use must be regulated to protect writers who fear they could soon be out of a job, especially for shows with formulaic structures like soap operas or comedies.
The use of AI-generated audio design and backing music is also its own can of worms. AI-generated music that mimics the sound of artists would be much cheaper for companies to purchase or create than licensing original music, for instance, and it is not yet clear whether musical artists will win copyright challenges against AI programs that create music based on machine learning from their work.
Regardless, we’re likely to see more AI-created media surface in the coming months and years. And some day, it may not seem like such a gimmick.
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