At the NAB Show 2024, Futuri’s CEO Daniel Anstandig, alongside co-presenter Ameca, the AI-powered humanoid robot, shared findings from the most comprehensive study ever conducted on AI’s role in media.
Futuri’s AI in Media Study surveyed nearly 5,200 media consumers across the United States, including 2,624 radio listeners, revealing powerful insights into audience perceptions, expectations, and the future of AI-powered media content. The study was conducted by CMG Custom Research, which is best known as the in-house research team for CMG radio and television stations, responsible for the insights that power their high performing radio brands and hundreds of advertiser campaigns each year.
The findings challenge the traditional approach of radio and audio content production, suggesting a shift towards openness to human-AI collaboration: “Futuri’s study shows that audiences are open to media’s adoption of AI for content creation. In fact, 1 in 5 listeners believe they already listen to a radio station that is using AI. Listeners also believe that AI will assist media in creating more relevant and engaging content. They just want to be informed of its use, and for it to be used in the right scenarios,” Anstandig noted, highlighting the need for balance between human creativity and AI efficiency.
Anstandig added: “This study reveals an industry at the dawn of an AI revolution. The demand for content in general, is at an all-time high, and AI promises to make broadcast teams capable of generating the sheer volume of audio content across multiple platforms that audiences demand.”
Key Insights from the Study:
● Familiarity with AI:
○ 88% of respondents are aware of AI.
○ 59% have knowingly used AI.
○ Virtually all respondents use at least one AI-powered tool in a typical week, ranging from virtual assistants like Siri/Google/Alexa, traffic apps, health and fitness apps, search engines, and social media services that personalize or customize content.
● People cannot easily distinguish between human and AI audio content:
○ Participants were presented with paired samples of AI-generated voices created using Futuri’s AudioAI and human voices. 60% of the time, they identified the AI as human and human as AI.
● Audiences have a growing desire for customizable AI hosts:
○ 45% of respondents expressed interest in personalizing the personality of AI-driven radio or podcast hosts.
○ 41% of respondents showed interest in tailoring the type of content delivered, indicating a strong consumer desire for customized media experiences.
● Audience Readiness for AI:
○ 1 out of 5 people in the US believe they already listen to a radio station that is using AI. (This is not true in practice).
○ 89% of radio listeners said AI would be definitely or somewhat likely to improve the selection of songs, and 86% said it would be definitely or somewhat likely to improve introduction of songs.
○ 85% of radio listeners believe that AI would be definitely or somewhat likely to improve their experience of weather reports and forecasts.
○ 3 out of 4 listeners said talk show topics would be improved if AI is used behind the scenes.
○ 90% expressed a desire for open disclosure of AI being used to create content or create on-air voices.
○ In every format/genre, when given ‘fit’ questions, assessing whether audio consumers believed AI voices fit on their favorite radio brands, respondents consistently gave AI high ratings for its perceived compatibility and appropriateness. Asked, ‘is this voice appropriate to hear on your favorite station,’ Fit score for Futuri AudioAI voices in every music format was between 69-85% (depending on the format) and consistently performed on par or better than human voices.
● AI to fill in gaps:
○ 78% of respondents indicate they would listen more if AI were to ‘fill in gaps’ in broadcasting schedules. This is particularly interesting, as a study of the industry notes that less than 30% of radio stations have more than one live and local daypart.
● Podcasts are more popular than ever, with 30% of audio listeners saying that AI-generated content would definitely improve their experience of podcasts.
○ 63% of respondents listen to podcasts or on-demand audio for news/information. 90% of podcast users are listening to podcasts at least once per week, with 32% doing so daily, 46% a few times per week, and 12% once per week.
○ Most desired types of content in podcasts and on-demand audio are humor/comedy, news and information, and hobbies/interests.
Anstandig concluded: “Now is the time for radio to maximize its human talent, and use AI to enhance our ability to produce content for every daypart and every platform. The radio industry is not served by debates about whether or not AI is coming… it’s here, it’s inevitable. Content creators are using AI to grow their audience and revenue every day. Now, we in radio need to adopt practical tools and solutions to make ourselves more efficient and impactful. Radio is also not served by debates about replacing humans with AI. We need all the human ingenuity and creativity we can get, and we need to augment and extend it with AI. A strong media industry is good for democracy, and good for society. ”
Futuri’s AI in Media Study revealed key insights into best practices for broadcasters across radio, TV, news production, and creators who are seeking growth in the rapidly evolving landscape of content creation and distribution in the dawn of the AI era.