The podcast format has largely remained the same since its inception in the early 2000s: short shows recorded by hosts and distributed digitally to entertain or bring listeners up to date on the news.

But with the advent of AI, tech companies are keen to stomp the essence out of what makes the format so appealing in the first place: a human-to-human connection.

As such, the Washington Post announced this week that it’s launching an AI-based podcast service that allows listeners to pick their own format and even their own disembodied AI host.

The “Your Personal Podcast” is now available to users on the newspaper’s mobile app as of today — but whether anybody will pick up on the company’s offer to be inundated with potentially misinformed AI slop remains to be seen.

After Semafor‘s Max T

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