Radio Station Faces Backlash for Faking AI Host as Human

CADA radio station in Sydney, part of the Australian Radio Network (ARN), is facing significant backlash after it was revealed that its weekday show, Workdays with Thy, aired from 11 AM to 3 PM, has actually been hosted by an artificial intelligence persona.

For months, CADA led its audience to believe that the show was fronted by a real woman named Thy, even distributing images of her across various platforms to enhance the illusion of a genuine human presenter.

However, it has now come to light that Thy is not a real person.

• Thy was, in fact, an AI-generated avatar.
• Listeners were misled by the station’s promotion of her as a human.
• There was no prior disclosure regarding the use of AI.

This revelation has ignited a massive outcry, raising ethical questions about the deceptive use of AI, especially in the absence of transparent communication with the audience.

(Image: CADA)

The Creation of AI Host “Thy”

CADA’s AI host was developed utilizing ElevenLabs, a state-of-the-art AI audio platform that converts text into lifelike speech. The voice and appearance of “Thy” were modeled after a real ARN employee working in the finance department.

The AI avatar was designed to mimic the engaging tone of a human radio host. Despite airing for nearly six months, CADA failed to disclose that Thy was an artificial entity.

Once the truth emerged, it prompted considerable criticism, raising concerns about trust, authenticity, and transparency in media practices.

The Response

The response has been swift and severe, with listeners and industry professionals voicing their outrage over the misleading representation.

Teresa Lim, Vice President of the Australian Association of Voice Actors, condemned CADA’s lack of transparency in employing AI.

Experts emphasize that audiences have the right to know whether they are listening to a human or an