I think you're talking about some Platonic ideal that just doesn't exist anymore.
Streaming services such as Spotify are increasingly filled with AI-generated songs and the average consumer doesn't seem to mind because we're not listening intently in the first place: it's just a background track we're not really paying attention to. I'm pretty sure that radio execs are looking at that and are taking notes.
For talk radio... if I had a penny every time someone on HN brought up that they're enjoying NotebookLM-generated slopcasts, I'd have a neat pile of coin. And I think it's the same story: most people listen to podcasts just to kill time. Soothing, zero-calorie LLM banter will do.
there's a whole world of wonderful radio that has been thriving for decades, completely different than Spotify or talk radio.
It's unfortunate that you haven't seemed to experience any of it, but I've personally loved over the years stations like KEXP, WPFW, Dublab, WUSC
Your original post said that we shouldn't be worried because people appreciate radio and music for reasons that presumably can't be replicated by AI. I'm asserting that's not true: it's not how most people listen to radio or music, and AI content is already quite prominent.
I'm perfectly familiar with KEXP and other stations like that, but this is not how most people experience the medium. It's like insisting that Taylor Swift will never catch on because her music is not nearly as rich and complex as Wagner. Sure, but that's completely irrelevant.
Just because a lot of people like big blockbuster movies doesn't mean that's the standard that I hold good film to.
Similar to radio. If you're going to use huge amounts of processing power to create something new, it should at least be interesting and held to a standard of good for its category, not the standard of corporate slop.
So cool, you can now replace corporate slop with AI slop. For some people who like to turn into radio with no soul or personality I guess it's a win. But for people like myself who actually like to hear interesting and novel things on the radio, this is just a big exercise is creating more filler and noise in an already grayed out world.
KEXP is a local (and beloved) station for me. WIll have to give some of these others a listen if they're doing similar things.