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Artificial intelligence technology is being used for just about anything and everything these days, from powering self-driving cars to writing books and creating music.

So much so, in fact, that it鈥檚 almost difficult to consider what else AI could be used to do that we haven鈥檛 already started experimenting with.

Well, here鈥檚 something you may not have expected 鈥� podcasts.

Now, podcasts already feel like a relatively recent phenomenon. Sure, they鈥檝e been around for a little while, but it鈥檚 only fairly recently that they鈥檝e become popular.

Whether it鈥檚 hard news, true crime or just comedians talking rubbish, podcasts have become mainstream and there鈥檚 a massive market for them now among a variety of different groups of listeners.

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What Is an AI Podcast?

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If the idea of an AI-generated podcast seems a bit odd to you, that鈥檚 okay 鈥� it鈥檚 the technology it uses isn鈥檛 the norm just yet.

Podcasts normally involve one or more people in conversation with each other, talking about a specific topic and bouncing off each other in a discursive style. Of course, there are other podcasts that take more of a monologue type of approach, with a single host in charge either speaking from a pre-prepared script or something else.

So, how would AI be able to recreate something like this?

The first thing to know is that AI is fully capable of generating spoken content. Not only can it generate written content 鈥� we鈥檙e all familiar with OpenAI鈥檚 ChatGPT 鈥� but there are now some advanced versions that can not only create the words but also speak them out loud.

Google and OpenAI both have their own versions of 鈥渧oice AI鈥�, so to speak. The technology started off as more of a text-to-voice feature and now, more advanced versions powered by AI allow it to create a full-on spoken conversation, of sorts.

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NotebookLM: Google鈥檚 New 鈥淎I Research Assistant鈥�

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While a few versions of AI-generated voice features have popped up here and there, it鈥檚 NotebookLM that鈥檚 really started the conversation about AI podcasts. NotebookLM is Google鈥檚 self-proclaimed 鈥淎I research assistant鈥�.

But, it鈥檚 not just about voice AI and podcasts 鈥� the tool can actually be used for a variety of different tasks, from getting advice on improving creative projects to helping you work on academic pieces.

Podcasts are just one of many features it offers, but let me tell you, it鈥檚 pretty cool, and there鈥檚 good reason why it鈥檚 being talked about.

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Creating Podcasts with NotebookLM

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At the moment, it seems like NotebookLM is the only platform that鈥檚 gotten as far as it has in terms of being able to actually generate podcast-style content, but it鈥檚 more than likely that competitors will be doing the same thing at some point in the future 鈥� it鈥檚 just a matter of time.

For now, though, it鈥檚 NotebookLM, and what makes its podcast feature and capability even cooler is that it鈥檚 so easy听to use. All you have to do is feed it some information and instruction, and you鈥檒l be absolutely gobsmacked by what you get in return.

Many people have conducted their own experiments to see how well it works, and after having seen a few of these, it鈥檚 fair to say that it鈥檚 pretty impressive. And, one of the most incredible aspects of this, in my opinion, is how AI is able to add an element of so-called 鈥渉umanity鈥� to what it creates.

Of course, something that makes podcasts what they are is the human aspect of people discussing a topic (if more than one person is hosting) and adding personal opinions. On a more practical level, it鈥檚 not just reading a script 鈥� it鈥檚 talking back and forth, interrupting each other, reacting to statements, asking questions and so much more.

And, the incredible thing is that NotebookLM鈥檚 podcast feature is somehow able to do these things in a way that is (almost) completely convincing. It truly sounds like people talking to each other informally, having a conversation and speaking reactively.

The AI software that Google uses to do this is able to generate this content incredibly quickly, in a similar way that ChatGPT, for instance, will spit out answers to you as you ask it things.

But, as is true for many forms of AI and AI-generated content, it鈥檚 almost something you have to experience for yourself. So, think something up, find some content to feed the programme and ask NotebookLM to create an episode of a podcast for you. I don鈥檛 think you鈥檒l be disappointed.