Planet Money

AI Podcast 1.0: Rise of the machines

May 26, 2023

Explore the evolving role of AI in creative industries, especially in writing and journalism. Learn how tools like ChatGPT challenge traditional job security by mimicking human style. Discover a playful experiment where AI crafts a podcast script, blurring the lines between technology and authenticity. Delve into the historical context of automation and the complexities of AI in content creation. Finally, enjoy a glimpse into AI's storytelling potential through a quirky radio drama, balancing humor with deeper reflections on human versus machine creativity.

34:03

Creator website

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

AI-Generated Podcast Raises Questions about Human Creativity and Automation

01:45

How AI Breaks Down Academic Papers for Bite-Sized Research Answers

01:36

Intro

1min

Blurring Boundaries: AI and Authenticity

4min

AI Takes the Mic

4min

From Switchboards to AI: The Evolution of Telephone Operations

2min

AI in Content Creation: Challenges and Insights

9min

Exploring the Creative Potential of AI in Podcasting

2min

AI's Creative Leap: Crafting a Radio Drama

12min

We used to think some jobs were safe from automation. Though machines have transformed industries like agriculture and manufacturing, the conventional wisdom was that they could never perform what's called "knowledge work." That the robots could never replace lawyers or accountants — or journalists, like us.

Well, ever since the release of artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, it feels like no job is safe. AI can now write essays, generate computer code, and even pass the bar exam. Will work ever be the same again?

Here at Planet Money, we are launching a new three-part series to understand what this new AI-powered future looks like. Our goal: to get the machines to make an entire Planet Money show.

In this first episode, we try to teach the AI how to write a script for us from scratch. Can the AI do research for us, interview our sources, and then stitch everything together in a creative, entertaining way? We're going to find out just how much of our own jobs we can automate — and what work might soon look like for us all.

(And, in case you're wondering... this text was not written by an AI.)

This episode was produced by Emma Peaslee and Willa Rubin. It was edited by Keith Romer. Maggie Luthar engineered this episode. It was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Jess Jiang is Planet Money's acting executive producer.

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