Australian Radio Station Used AI DJ For Months Before Being Discovered

An Australian radio station is facing backlash after admitting that one of its popular on-air hosts, Thy, is actually an AI-generated DJ.

Thy, who hosts the daily “Workdays with Thy” show on Sydney-based CADA, was developed using technology from ElevenLabs. The station had not disclosed that Thy was artificial, according to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald.

“Every weekday from 11 am-3 pm while you are at work, driving around, doing the commute on public transport or at uni, Thy will be playing you the hottest tracks from around the world,” the Workdays with Thy show notes said. “Workdays with Thy” has been on the air since November.

While the AI’s voice and likeness are based on an actual ARN Media employee, CADA said the show’s music is curated by “music experts.” The station does not mention the use of AI in its show description.

“Workdays with Thy” is just the latest in a series of radio shows hosted by AIs. In 2023, Portland, Oregon-based FBFF Live 95.5 introduced AI Ashley, an AI version of its human host, Ashley Elzinga. However, unlike Thy, AI Ashley was disclosed to be AI from the start.

“Workdays with Thy” has reached 72,000 listeners as of March, CADA reported, and it’s not the only Australian radio station using AI DJs; others include Melbourne-based Disrupt Radio and its host Debbie Disrupt.

San Francisco-based ElevenLabs, launched in January 2023, is an AI audio company offering advanced tools for text-to-speech, voice cloning, and multilingual dubbing in over 30 languages. Prominent examples of ElevenLabs technology in action include collaborations with the estates of iconic actors Jimmy Stewart, Burt Reynolds, and Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia.

“The purpose of these iconic voices is to add a deeper and new level of immersive experience to listening and reading the content,” ElevenLabs Head of Partnership Dustin Blank previously told Decrypt. “It’s a different kind of experience that we’re doing with these iconic voices that hopefully our users enjoy.”

The use of artificial intelligence in music has surged in recent years, with programs now capable of composing songs and mimicking even the voices of long-deceased entertainers. As the technology becomes more sophisticated, it is not just creating music—it’s also beginning to replace the personalities who present it.

Edited by Andrew Hayward