Talk show podcast with AI version of Michael Parkinson a step too far?

A digital replica of the late Sir Michael Parkinson hosting a new talk-show podcast takes AI to a new level but what are the implications for the audio and broadcasting industry?

Deep Fusion Films and Night Train Digital have launched Virtually Parkinson, which is hosted by an AI version of Sir Michael, who died in 2023.

The series features completely unscripted conversations between a guest and AI Parkinson, in what can be described as groundbreaking yet possibly worrying uncharted territory.

Parkinson was, of course, one of the UK’s most respected TV presenters, broadcasters and journalists whose career spanned seven decades. The AI ‘Michael Parkinson’ has been built using knowledge garnered from his career, including his back-catalogue of over 2000 classic interviews.

This means AI Michael is able to converse in an authentic manner and offers podcast guests a true-to-life experience.

The first episode’s guest is Jason Derulo chatting to AI Michael, which sounds like you’d expect a real Sir Michael interview to be, although it’s a little too perfect and lacks the ‘soul’ that Parky put into his interviews. There’s no real interaction between guest and host.

That will be something of a relief for real human presenters, but it’s early days in this area and the results are bound to get much better over time.

Earlier this week, comedian and podcaster Jenny Éclair branded it a “terrible, terrible idea” when talking about the podcast on ITV’s Good Morning Britain. She said there isn’t enough room with podcasters all fighting over the same space.

She added: “I’ve got a podcast, and I don’t think I can compete with Michael Parkinson, even when he’s not living and breathing.”

Writing in Forbes, author, speaker, futurist and business and technology advisor, Berard Marr says he thinks the podcast “crosses a concerning threshold”.

“While it is technically impressive, recreating a beloved broadcaster’s voice and interviewing style after he passed away feels like a violation of the authentic human connections that made Parkinson’s interviews so special,” he says.

He has a point but acknowledges the financial benefit of using an AI host over a real one, although the efficiency comes at a cost to the broadcasting ecosystem.

Barr also quotes PRX’s chief Jason Saldanha, who has warned that “flooding the market with content to get the lowest level of engagement” is not a “long-term strategy.” He emphasises that the real power of podcasts lies in “the host-audience relationship,” and the most successful shows have a “one-to-one relationship with their audiences.”

Isn’t it all about balance? Embracing AI to enhance rather than replace has to be the way forward – even ChatGPT agrees. When asked: “Will using AI podcast hosts destroy podcasting and broadcasting?” It replied with a reasoned answer, which concluded: “AI podcast hosts won’t destroy podcasting and broadcasting but will likely drive evolution and diversification.

“The success of AI in this space will depend on its ability to complement human creativity rather than replace it. The most successful models will likely integrate AI and human elements to enhance the overall experience.”

There’s no standing in the way of the pace at which technology is advancing, do so and get left behind.

As long as there’s honesty and integrity around what’s real and what’s not, it should enhance the world of podcasts. It’s made very clear from the start that the voice of Virtually Parkinson is a digital replica of Sir Michael, in fact it’s probably one of the draws of the podcast!

And to drive home that it’s a new kind of digital experience, at the end of the interview with Jason Derulo, AI Michael asks him how he found this type of discussion.

Jason replies: “I think it was really incredible in the way that you were able to ask the questions, felt like you knew me, like we’ve known each other for a very long time or that you’ve done a lot of homework, so it was really cool to talk to you.

“I think this is just the beginning of something that will revolutionise the world, so I’m really excited to have been the first interview and I look forward to seeing you the next time.”

If you want to listen to a podcast with its guests talking to a Parky sounding host, then it’s worth a listen.

The first episode of Virtually Parkinson featuring Jason Derulo is available now.

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