To Portland, Ore., radio listeners, it is an Alpha Media flagship Top 40 station branded as “Live 95.5.” That said, all of its air shifts are now no longer live … or are they?
Thanks to Futuri Media‘s RadioGPT product, KBFF-FM is making history as the first broadcast radio station to place an AI air personality in a full on-air shift.
A synthetic version of midday host Ashley Elzinga is now being employed by Live 95.5 “to bring a new style of content” to its listeners.
Live 95.5 Content Director Dylan Salisbury expressed his excitement for this groundbreaking approach in a media release. “To put it simply, I am ecstatic to be one of the trailblazers at Alpha Media helping to build an innovative and unique listening experience for our audience,” he said. “We have been working hard to ensure that AI Ashley is just as live, local, engaging, and entertaining as the traditional version, and I can’t wait for our fans to hear both versions of Ashley in action.”
Elzinga, who was awed upon hearing an AI version of her in an Instagram post, explains, “I am honored to be at the forefront of this evolved version of radio broadcasting. As the world’s first AI DJ, I will fully embrace the power of synthetic voice software and artificial intelligence; in doing so, I can ensure that my audience has a compelling listening experience.”
View this post on Instagram
Alpha Media EVP of Content Phil Becker shared his enthusiasm for the project, saying, “At Alpha Media, we strive to release high-quality products, improve processes and optimize the use of our talent. Adding AI to operations will allow us to be more agile than ever. Radio GPT allows us to showcase our content creators in more instances, with more frequency, and curate more timely, topical, and robust information for Alpha audiences and clients than previously possible.”
“AI Ashley” is on from 10am-3pm Pacific.
The real-life Elzinga serves as Program Director and morning host of PD/morning host of MacDonald Garber-owned WKHQ-FM in Traverse City, Mich. She’d been voicetracking the midday slot at Live 95.5; Elzinga can also be heard, thanks to voicetracking, in the nighttime slot on KQMV-FM “Movin 92.5” in Seattle.
