Spotify may soon use AI trained voices of your favorite hosts

Spotify could be on the verge of employing AI to create podcast ads in hosts' voices. AI (artificial intelligence) is taking the world by storm with a considerable number of companies realising what the technology is capable of accomplishing.

Following in the footsteps of leading businesses, Spotify recently made its foray into the AI market with its AI DJ feature. Notably, the feature was originally limited to Premium subscribers based in Canada and the US. The Spotify DJ feature can imitate a traditional radio station using AI.

In addition to offering songs that it thinks you will like, Spotify DJ adds personalised AI-generated commentary between each song. Now, it looks like the widely popular digital music service has a new plan to expand that.

Spotify's future AI plans

Apparently, the plan involves using AI to read ads. Founder of Spotify-owned podcast network The Ringer, Bill Simmons recently shed some light on Spotify's future AI plans during an episode of his own podcast dubbed, "The Bill Simmons Podcast". Simmons confirmed that Spotify is working on AI tools that can mimic hosts' voices.

These AI tools will come in handy to create targeted ads, according to a report by Semafor. "There is going to be a way to use my voice for the ads," Simmons said. The top executive also revealed that the host will have to give the approval for the voice. Overall, Simmons believes this will open up a wide range of possibilities as far as advertising is concerned.

Regrettably, Simmons did not divulge other key details about Spotify's plan to use AI. Nevertheless, using artificial intelligence to create ads could be faster and cheaper compared to hiring and recording actual hosts. It is also no secret that hiring a well-known figure or a celebrity costs a lot of money.

Moreover, this will allow Spotify to create ads that target specific neighborhoods or cities. In fact, the streaming service could create commercials directed personally at you. However, some users might not like a Spotify ad calling them out by name. So, it is safe to assume that Spotify will avoid hyper-targeting.

To those unaware, Simmons sold The Ringer to Spotify back in 2020 for around $200 million (about £161,165,000.00). He believes AI can be used for making podcasts more accessible due to its improved translation technology. In fact, he predicted that an AI that's trained on his previous work might end up creating a new original of the podcast in the future.

Spotify's DJ enters the European market

Understandably, Spotify told Insider that it has nothing specific to announce. It is worth noting that the company jumped on the AI bandwagon very recently. Nevertheless, Spotify's AI-Powered DJ has finally expanded into the European market, according to a Bloomberg report. The newly announced AI-powered radio feature boasts curated playlists, coupled with audio commentary around the songs.

Now, the feature is available to Spotify Premium users in Ireland and the UK on both iOS and Android devices. Spotify says it decided to expand in the European market due to the impressive social media engagement from Irish and UK users. Google, on the other hand, might not offer its AI chatbot Bard in the EU and Canada citing regulatory concerns.

Spotify's head of cultural partnerships Xavier "X" Jernigan has played an important role in the development of DJ. For instance, DJ's voice is modeled after Jernigan. On top of that, he works alongside Spotify's cultural experts, scriptwriters, and music editors to ensure DJ provides the most relevant information to users.

Spotify's team decided that X will identify itself as an AI that doesn't switch on your lights or set times. Spotify has a team of creative producers and cultural experts in-house. Jernigan said the service uses its knowledge of culture and the latest trends in music in the curation process. "It's not a replacement for a DJ, it's an enhancement," he clarified.