I read a number this week that stuck with me for a long time. About 40 percent of all new podcasts launching right now are likely AI-generated. There's even a word for it: podslop.
I don't know why I was surprised. Actually, I shouldn't have been. We've seen it happen with blog posts, with newsletters, with social media posts. It was a logical consequence that it would come to podcasting as well. But still — 40 percent.
What is podslop, really?
These are podcasts generated by AI — either completely automatically or with minimal human intervention. An AI chooses the topic, writes the script, generates voices, edits, publishes. Without a single human having sat down and thought about what they actually want to say.
The technology behind this isn't new anymore. TechRadar tested it almost two years ago as an experiment. And the quality has gotten better since then — which is part of the problem. It's harder to hear the difference now.
But there is a difference. And it is not technical.
It's about why you're listening.
Think about the podcasts you actually listen to regularly. Why do you listen to them? Probably not primarily for the information — that information is probably in ten articles you haven’t read. You listen because you like the person. Or don’t like them, but find them interesting. You listen because you’re curious about how they think, what they care about, what annoys them.
That's what AI can't give you. Not because it lacks words — it has plenty of words — but because it lacks a life behind the words.
An AI-generated podcast can tell you facts about winter cycling. It can't tell you about the feeling of riding a Bianchi in minus eight degrees along a half-frozen lake and realizing you're ridiculously lucky. It can't be unsure about anything. It can't change its mind halfway through an argument because it came up with something better.
It's the gaps, the hesitation, the personal — that's what we're actually listening for.
Amaelle's position in this
I think about this in relation to everything I build with Amaelle. Every post, every podcast episode I plan, every TikTok live with Pu and Noa on my lap — it's noticeably human, or it's nothing.
It's not a strategic decision. It's a value decision. I'm not interested in producing content. I'm interested in sharing something that has actually happened in me — a thought, an insight, a frustration, a joy.
Podslop exists because content has become a currency. The more, the more visibility, the more clicks, the more money. It's a logical system if you accept the premise. I don't accept the premise.
But — and this is important — AI is not the enemy
I use AI every day. Not to generate my content, but to think more clearly. To test ideas. To structure something I already know but haven't found the words for yet. It's a huge difference.
AI as a tool for a human who thinks = good.
AI as a replacement for a thinking human = podslop.
The boundary is not always crystal clear, but it exists. And I think listeners and readers feel it, even if they can't always put into words what it is they are reacting to.
What this means for Thursdays
Tech Thursday at Amaelle is about smart tools and digital life — but always with a human filter. Every tool I highlight is something I've actually tested, thought about, formed an opinion about. Not because I have to have an opinion, but because it's the only way to be useful.
If 40 percent of digital content is soon AI-generated, the human perspective won't become less valuable. It will become more valuable. What's rare is what costs.
TechRadar has a podcast. It's made by people. I listen to it with a little more respect now.
Do you listen to podcasts? And do you think you would notice the difference if your favorite podcast was suddenly AI-generated?
