Podcast Listeners Wary of AI-Generated Hosts

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | 11:50am CT

Edison Research at SSRS

Most weekly podcast consumers aren't enthusiastic about having their favorite hosts replaced by AI-generated versions of themselves, according to new research from Edison Research at SSRS.

Custom questions added to Edison Podcast Metrics during the first quarter of 2026 found that 66% of weekly podcast consumers expressed at least one negative emotion when asked how they would feel if a favorite host began using an AI-generated version to host the podcast.

One-third said they would feel "deceived," while another third selected "upset." Thirty-two percent said they would be "skeptical," and 28% said they would feel "betrayed."

Positive reactions were considerably less common, with 27% selecting at least one positive emotion. Fourteen percent said they would be "impressed," 12% "optimistic" and 10% "fascinated" by an AI-generated version of their favorite host. Only 18% said they would feel "indifferent" about the use of an AI-generated host.

Edison has conducted extensive research into the relationship between podcast personalities and their audiences and said the rapid growth of artificial intelligence prompted it to begin examining how consumers view AI's potential role in podcasting.

The findings suggest that while AI tools are becoming more prevalent in audio production and content creation, replacing the human host could present a different challenge because of the connection listeners develop with podcast personalities.

Edison said additional data examining AI and podcasting is available through its Edison Podcast Metrics subscription service.