A Polish radio station recently made headlines for replacing human hosts with AI-generated presenters.
OFF Radio Kraków announced on Monday that it is ending an “experiment” where artificial intelligence (AI) hosts led several of its programs, according to a report by the AP, as shared by TASR.
The station had laid off multiple editors before relaunching some shows last week with AI-generated hosts. The move sparked nationwide backlash, with many listeners voicing concerns over the increasing replacement of human roles by AI.
Marcin Pulit from OFF Radio Kraków’s management explained that the goal was to initiate a discussion about AI—a goal they feel they achieved. Although the experiment was originally planned to last three months, Pulit stated there is now “no reason to continue.”
“After just one week, we gathered enough feedback and conclusions to decide that further continuation was unnecessary,” Pulit said, noting that the intensity of the response was unexpected.
The AI avatars were designed to engage younger audiences with topics such as culture, arts, social issues, and LGBTQ+ matters.
The experiment gained public attention after Mateusz Demski, a journalist and former host at the station, launched a petition to end it. Demski also published an open letter, calling the replacement of editors with AI a dangerous precedent. Over 23,000 people signed the petition.
Last Tuesday, OFF Radio Kraków aired a broadcast with an AI host using a synthesized voice to “interview” Polish poet and Nobel laureate Wisława Szymborska, who passed away in 2012. The station had planned a similar segment featuring Polish statesman Józef Piłsudski, who died in 1935.
