“I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do.” Who said it: Benjamin Franklin, Lord Byron, or Albert Einstein? It’s actually HAL 9000, the infamous AI in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
We hear a lot today about artificial intelligence and the disruption it has begun to create, especially in the workforce, which will even more greatly affect us in the not-too-distant future.
But while AI’s capabilities continue to grow, there remain vital realms where it cannot truly substitute for the singular qualities of human intellect, feeling, and creative spirit. Those are qualities that every radio station in this nation must possess and leverage to compete in the years ahead.
The formula is simple: It should be live. It needs to be local. And it must be beyond the bounds of AI.
It must tap into EI: emotional intelligence. Think about it.
Too often, we get hung up on what our digital competitors are doing, rather than focusing on maximizing our strengths as part of the new media ecosystem that is evolving before our ears and eyes by embracing hybrid models. The winners won’t necessarily be the biggest, but they’ll certainly be the most adaptive.
AI can analyze data and detect patterns, but it cannot make complex decisions based on intuition, relationships, or the je ne sais quoi of life.
Just as HAL cannot open the pod bay doors, AI cannot shake hands at a remote. It cannot provide the emotional comfort of a live personality who shares the joy or sorrow of a community. It can’t speak to a class of high school students or address the local Rotary Club.
In other words, it can’t be radio.
