How an Australian Radio Station’s AI Host Fooled Listeners for Months
- A popular Australian radio show, Workdays with Thy, hosted by an AI-generated DJ, went unnoticed by listeners for months on Sydney’s CADA station.
- The AI host, Thy, modeled after a real employee’s voice and likeness using ElevenLabs technology, raises questions about transparency in media.
- This case, alongside other global experiments with AI in broadcasting, highlights the growing influence of artificial intelligence in entertainment and the ethical dilemmas it poses.
In an era where technology blurs the lines between reality and simulation, a startling revelation has emerged from the world of Australian radio. For months, listeners tuning into Sydney’s CADA station for the popular show Workdays with Thy were captivated by the smooth voice of Thy, a DJ spinning a four-hour mix of hip hop, R&B, and pop. What they didn’t know—and what the station failed to disclose—was that Thy isn’t a real person. Thy is an AI-generated host, crafted with cutting-edge technology and modeled after an actual employee from the station’s parent company, ARN Media. This unnoticed experiment, as reported by the Australian Financial Review and The Sydney Morning Herald, has sparked a broader conversation about transparency, trust, and the role of AI in media.
The story of Workdays with Thy began in November 2024, when the show first appeared on CADA’s website. Described as a curated selection of chart-topping hits and emerging tracks, the program promised listeners the chance to “hear it first with Thy” and boast to friends about being ahead of the curve. According to ratings cited by the Financial Review, the show reached at least 72,000 people, a testament to its popularity. Yet, nowhere in the show’s description or on-air content was there any hint that Thy’s voice—created using the AI voice generator ElevenLabs, as first reported by the newsletter The Carpet—wasn’t human. Instead, listeners formed a connection with what they believed was a charismatic, relatable host, only to later discover the truth.
ARN Media, the owner of CADA, confirmed to the Financial Review that Thy’s voice and likeness were based on an employee from their financial department. This raises intriguing questions about the ethics of using someone’s identity as the foundation for an AI persona. While the technology behind Thy is undeniably impressive, the lack of transparency has drawn sharp criticism. Teresa Lim, vice president of the Australian Association of Voice Actors, expressed her dismay on LinkedIn, arguing that Australian listeners deserve honesty rather than being misled into trusting a “fake person” they believe to be real. Her words echo a growing concern in the digital age: as AI becomes more sophisticated, how do we distinguish between what’s authentic and what’s engineered?
This isn’t an isolated incident. The use of AI in media and entertainment is becoming increasingly common, often without public acknowledgment. Earlier this year, Microsoft debuted an AI-generated advertisement for its Surface product, only revealing the use of AI months later. Similarly, radio stations worldwide are experimenting with artificial intelligence. In Portland, Oregon, a station has tested AI hosts, while Sirius XM has explored similar innovations. Perhaps most controversially, a Polish radio station last year replaced human journalists with AI hosts as part of an “experiment,” only to reverse course after significant backlash. These examples illustrate a broader trend: AI is reshaping the media landscape, often faster than ethical guidelines or public awareness can keep up.
ARN Media’s CEO, Ciaran Davis, offered a reflective perspective on the situation in an interview with the Financial Review. “We’re trying to understand what’s real and what’s not,” he said, acknowledging the power of the human announcers they employ while seemingly recognizing the potential of AI to captivate audiences. His comments suggest an industry at a crossroads, grappling with the balance between technological innovation and the trust of its audience. For now, Workdays with Thy stands as a fascinating, if unsettling, case study in how seamlessly AI can integrate into our daily lives—sometimes without us even noticing.
As we move deeper into an age dominated by artificial intelligence, stories like Thy’s remind us of the importance of transparency. Listeners, viewers, and consumers deserve to know when they’re interacting with a machine rather than a human, no matter how convincing the illusion. The rise of AI in broadcasting may offer exciting possibilities for creativity and efficiency, but it also demands a commitment to honesty. For now, the airwaves of Sydney—and beyond—carry a subtle warning: the voice on the other end might not be what it seems. How we navigate this new reality will shape the future of media, trust, and human connection in a world increasingly intertwined with the digital.