As artificial intelligence is finally being embraced by the radio world and continues to grow, we still need to remember… this is ARTIFICIAL intelligence, and this is not the time to wipe your hands of the property you’ve relinquished control over to AI.

AI is now being used to create websites and update content. This is phenomenal! One reason being it’s almost unheard of nowadays to have part timers in the building. Not even 5 years ago, there were staff members who monitored websites, handled remotes, helped with copywriting. Now, the on- air staff has once again added another hat to their towering collection and taken on yet another job. With AI being implemented, hopefully this has alleviated some stress in this particular section. However, do not throw all your trust into thinking this will never have faults. We still need the human touch to make sure the correct content is going up, the content doesn’t sound or seem automatically generated and pertains to your audience. Simply checking in daily, at the end of your shift, can alleviate any problems that may occur, or a very angry PD calling you asking why something was posted.

As for social media, it’s nice to have the ability to schedule posts, but we still need to make sure the posts, again, are going up on the correct site and at the correct time. Sometimes it’s easy to “set it and forget it” but we can’t do that when we are in an industry where the listeners are VERY quick to point out mistakes.

This isn’t just about content on air and on the website…we still need to monitor transmitter sites and control rooms. Sure, you can count the brand-new system you just implemented at the site and thing, “It’s high-tech stuff. Surely, I don’t need to take transmitter temps and readings anymore.” Ok, what if that “new high-tech stuff” isn’t set right… your transmitter could fry when all you would have had to do was take the readings in the studio that would have taken maybe 30 seconds.

When’s the last time you checked your generator? Those who live in places where the winters get very cold, this is very important. It definitely still works since you haven’t had to use it so everything should be good, right? Wrong. Mice could get in there and tear up wires, dust or debris could have gotten into a small area and created a snowball effect where if one thing isn’t working properly, nothing works.

The moral of the story is, while AI has been incredibly useful and given us some of our valuable time back…it will never substitute for the human check-ups. It can never completely give us ease of mind. Yes, continue using it! Embrace AI! Always know, you will have to continue checking in and make sure everything continues to work as it should.