Radio station used AI DJ for months before being discovered

An Australian radio station has come under fire after revealing that one of its popular on-air personalities, Thy, is not a human being but an AI-generated DJ.

CADA, a Sydney-based station, admitted that "Thy," host of the "Workdays with Thy" programme, was developed using technology from the US-based artificial intelligence company ElevenLabs.

The revelation, first reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, has sparked widespread criticism as listeners were unaware that the voice behind the daily show was not real.

Since November 2024, "Workdays with Thy" has been airing weekdays between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., featuring a mix of international hits. In its programme description, the station simply described Thy as playing "the hottest tracks from around the world" without any mention of the AI technology behind the voice.

While Thy's voice and appearance were modelled on a real ARN Media employee, CADA said that the music selection was still handled by "music experts." However, the station’s failure to disclose Thy’s artificial nature has raised questions about transparency and trust in the growing use of AI in media.

The controversy echoes a more transparent approach by other broadcasters. For instance, FBFF Live 95.5 in Portland, Oregon, introduced “AI Ashley” in 2023, a virtual version of their human host Ashley Elzinga — but disclosed the AI element from the outset.

Despite the backlash, "Workdays with Thy" had attracted about 72,000 listeners by March 2025, according to figures released by CADA. The station is not alone in its use of AI DJs; Melbourne-based Disrupt Radio also features an AI host known as Debbie Disrupt.

ElevenLabs, launched in January 2023, is known for its sophisticated text-to-speech and voice cloning technologies. It has collaborated with the estates of famous personalities such as Jimmy Stewart, Burt Reynolds, and Jerry Garcia to create immersive audio experiences.

“The purpose of these iconic voices is to add a deeper and new level of immersive experience to listening and reading the content,” said Dustin Blank, Head of Partnership at ElevenLabs, in an earlier interview with Decrypt.

The rapid advancement of AI in the music and broadcasting industries is stirring debate globally, as AI programmes increasingly compose music, replicate voices, and now, replace traditional radio hosts. Critics argue that while technology offers new possibilities, lack of transparency risks undermining audience trust.