Experiment Puts AI Voices and Music on Radio in Switzerland

Experiment Puts AI Voices and Music on Radio in Switzerland

A Swiss radio station recently carried out a social experiment on air, testing robot-created content and voicing.

The 13-hour experiment took place on the French-language station Couleur 3. During the period, listeners heard the cloned voices of five human presenters¹. The station's programming also included music created by artificial² intelligence (AI) methods.

The programming informed listeners about the experiment every 20 minutes.

"AI is taking your favorite radio by storm," a voice said. "Our clones and AI are here to unsettle, surprise and shake you. And for that matter, this text was also written by a robot."

Recent AI developments have led to the creation³ of a series of tools that permit robots to lead different human activities. These tools belong to a group of systems known as "generative AI." The tools use machine learning⁴ methods to train AI systems on huge amounts of data to produce human-quality results.

One of the most highly⁵ publicized generative AI tools is called ChatGPT. It received wide attention by demonstrating⁶ the ability to quickly produce written answers to questions at a level and quality similar to humans.

The development of generative AI systems has led to some criticism⁷ of the technology. Critics have warned that such systems, if used incorrectly, could cause economic, cultural and social harms.

The Swiss station's chief, Antoine Multone, told The Associated Press that Couleur 3 was able to carry out the experiment because it is already known for doing "provocative⁸" things.

Multone defended the project as a lesson on how to live with AI. "I think if we become ostriches⁹ ... we put our heads in the sand and say, ‘Mon Dieu, there's a new technology! We're all going to die!' then yeah, we're going to die because it (AI) is coming, whether we like it or not," Multone said by phone. "We want to master the technology so we can then put limits on it."

Station officials said it took three months to train the AI to understand the needs of the station and learn the special requirements of its programming.

Music that aired during the experiment was completely or mostly created by AI methods. Multone claimed that was a world's first for a radio station.

The experiment included human-sounding robot voices providing false short news stories meant to be too futuristic to be believed. These included a story about a temporary ban on spaceship flights over Geneva because of noise complaints. Another informed about the opening of the first underwater restaurant in Lake Zurich, while another told about visitors from outer space coming to Switzerland.

Multone admitted there was a lot of discussion¹⁰ among employees about whether to go through with the experiment. He said he would have been willing to stop the project if his team was not fully¹¹ supportive.

The station said in a statement it received hundreds of messages on the day of the experiment, with some supporting and others opposing. One person complained of unfunny jokes. Another listener admitted to not recognizing the programming as an experiment. One critic called the project a waste of time for a station that gets public financing¹².

Multone said about 90 percent of listener reactions suggested the experiment was a good idea. But many said they found the human element missing¹³. Many listeners noted¹⁴, "You can sense these are robots, and there are fewer surprises, less personality.'"

Multone said some listeners were even more forceful, urging station officials to "‘give us back our humans!'"

Words in This Story

clone – v. to make an exact copy of a person, animal or plant

artificial intelligence – n. the development of computer systems that have the ability to perform work that normally¹⁵ requires human intelligence

provocative – adj. causing discussion, thought, argument, etc.

complaint – n. a statement that you are unhappy or not satisfied with something

personality – n. a set of emotional qualities that makes a person different from other people

1 presenters   

n.节目主持人，演播员( presenter的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Each week presenters would put the case for their favourite candidate. 每个星期主持人推出他们最喜欢的候选人。 来自互联网
• Karaoke was set up to allowed presenters to sing on the stage. 宴会设有歌唱舞台，可让出席者大演唱功。 来自互联网

2 artificial   

adj.人工的，人造的，人为的；做作的，假装的

参考例句：

• The new dam will form a large artificial lake behind it.新筑的水坝将会在后面形成一个人工湖。
• We don't use any artificial flavourings in our products.我们的产品不使用任何人工调味剂。

3 creation   

n.创造，创造的作品，产物，宇宙，天地万物

参考例句：

• Language is the most important mental creation of man.语言是人类头脑最重要的产物。
• The creation of new playgrounds will benefit the local children.新游戏场的建立将有益于当地的儿童。

4 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

5 highly   

adv.高度地，极，非常；非常赞许地

参考例句：

• It is highly important to provide for the future.预先做好准备非常重要。
• The teacher speaks very highly of the boy's behaviour.老师称赞这个男孩的表现。

6 demonstrating   

举行示威游行（或集会）( demonstrate的现在分词 )； 示范。展示； 显示； 论证

参考例句：

• The reactionary police made a baton charge on the demonstrating crowd. 反动警察用警棍驱散示威的人群。
• I'm having a hell of a wild time demonstrating this car. 为展示这种车子，把我搞得狼狈不堪。

7 criticism   

n.批评，批判，指责；评论，评论文章

参考例句：

• Some youth today do not allow any criticism at all.现在有些年轻人根本指责不得。
• It is wrong to turn a deaf ear to other's criticism.对别人的批评充耳不闻是错误的。

8 provocative   

adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的

参考例句：

• She wore a very provocative dress.她穿了一件非常性感的裙子。
• His provocative words only fueled the argument further.他的挑衅性讲话只能使争论进一步激化。

9 ostriches   

n.鸵鸟( ostrich的名词复数 )；逃避现实的人，不愿正视现实者

参考例句：

• They are the silliest lot of old ostriches I ever heard of. 他们真是我闻所未闻的一群最傻的老鸵鸟。 来自辞典例句
• How ostriches could bear to run so hard in this heat I never succeed in understanding. 驼鸟在这样干燥炎热的地带为什么能疾速长跑，我永远也理解不了。 来自辞典例句

10 discussion   

n.讨论，谈论；论述

参考例句：

• It is certain he will come to the discussion.他肯定会来参加讨论。
• After months of discussion,a peace agreement is gradually taking shape.经过几个月的商讨，和平协议渐渐有了眉目。

11 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

12 financing   

n.筹措资金

参考例句：

• The main source of our outside financing is bank loan. 我们向外筹措资金的主要渠道是银行贷款。
• They live in a symbiosis with governments that they are financing. 他们与他们服务的政府互利共存。

13 missing   

adj.遗失的，缺少的，失踪的

参考例句：

• Check the tools and see if anything is missing.检点一下工具，看有无丢失。
• All the others are here;he's the only one missing.别人都来了，就短他一个。

14 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

15 normally   

adv.正常地，通常地

参考例句：

• I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
• My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。