FORUM: “Radio and Artificial intelligence” World Radio Day 2026. AI is transforming our relationship with the radio voice, from real-time transcription and noise reduction to highly realistic synthesized voices. At its best, AI makes radio more accessible, enabling captions for deaf and hard of hearing audiences, voice-controlled radios for people who are blind or visually impaired, and AI translation that brings broadcasts into more languages, helping radio reach everyone, everywhere. This transformation is not about replacing the human voice which remains at the heart of radio. Used responsibly, AI can amplify reach human creativity and inclusion. In line with UNESCO’s ethical framework for artificial intelligence, voice technologies must respect human dignity, people’s consent to be recorded, transparency, and human oversight, and must never be used to deceive or exploit. A voice is more than sound: it is identity, and identity is a human right. Artifical Intelligence (AI) isn’t just a challenge to navigate; it’s a chance to reimagine radio with care, creativity, and connection. It invites us to dream bigger, reach further, and honor listeners’ time, intelligence and expectations. AI can help radio blossom in thoughtful ways:
Ease and Flow, letting technology take care of the routine tasks, such as scheduling, voice-tracking, daily weather or sports updates, administrative chores, so your team can focus on what truly matters: inform, educate, entertain.
Meaningful Growth, understanding your audience more deeply, connecting ads to listener needs, improving revenue.
Listener Empowerment, helping every listener feel included, offering personalized experiences, real-time interaction, and space for under-represented voices that deserve to be heard.
Quality Content, using AI to support fact-checking, source verification, rediscovery of archival richness and increased factuality, while keeping human judgment at the center.
All of this builds something precious: trust.
A Thoughtful Approach to AI.
To make the most of AI, radio broadcasters need more than tools - they need a strategy. That means:
- Clear, caring policies and internal guardrails for ethical AI use
- Respect for privacy, intellectual property, data ownership and transparency
- Careful use of generative audio (like AI music, voice cloning, deepfake audio, etc.)
- Investment in people; their skills, growth, collaborations
- Legal and security checks to manage emerging risks, data storage and transfer, liabilities, etc.
EVENTS: On Friday, February 13th, the celebration of World Radio Day 2026 will be dedicated to "Radio and Artificial Intelligence" to support radio stations in their journalistic coverage on this issue. Together, let's prepare the celebration the 15th edition of World Radio Day. The UNESCO and its partners invites the worldwide Radio industry in all its many forms - commercial, public, non-profit – to join in this global celebration of the medium at this special journey. Register to participate!
OPPORTUNITIES: To benefit from the 2026 Opportunities and appear on the UNESCO map please click here. Your radio station will also have the chance to connect with a radio station in another locality or country. Thanks to these collaborations, you will be able to exchange programs, guests, sound archives, and even… consider a longer-term relationship beyond February 13th,. Take advantage of this opportunity! Regularly consult the map to discover new radio stations or partners that could match your search…
PUBLICATION: Research on radio's contemporary and historical subject matter, and the audio media that have challenged radio's traditional use. Explore the Journal of Radio & Audio Media.
STATEMENTS: Read the statement of the Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of World Radio Day 2026; February 13th.
GET INVOLVED!
To make it easier for every radio station; We've come up with 13 simple, accessible ideas. Each radio station can choose one or more ideas to mark the day in their own way. These ideas can be implemented in two ways:
- Targeting your listeners: special programmes, reports, debates, street interviews, audio capsules or social media visuals.
- Targeting your teams (employees, volunteers, interns): internal reflection, training, improving your practices.
1. Augmented Voice
Using AI to elevate the human voice.
AI is transforming our relationship with the radio voice, from real-time transcription and noise reduction to highly realistic synthesized voices At its best, AI makes radio more accessible, enabling captions for deaf and hard of hearing audiences, voice-controlled radios for people who are blind or visually impaired, and AI translation that brings broadcasts into more languages, helping radio reach everyone, everywhere. This transformation is not about replacing the human voice which remains at the heart ofradio. Used responsibly, AI can amplify reach human creativity and inclusion. In line with UNESCO’s ethical framework for artificial intelligence, voice technologies must respect human dignity, people’s consent to be recorded, transparency, and human oversight, and must never be used to deceive or exploit. A voice is more than sound: it is identity, and identity is a human right.
Useful links: Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technologies
Digital Policy, Capacities and Inclusion
Reporting on artificial intelligence: a handbook for journalism educators
Sub-themes around this idea for programme content: ways to leverage, develop or angle the topic:
- For listeners:Can you recognize an AI-generated voice?
- How can AI make radio more accessible for everyone?
- Where should we draw the line between innovation and misuse of voice technology?
- How do we protect voices as part of personal identity in the age of AI?
- Can AI strengthen radio without replacing the human voice?
- For the radio teams:Behind the scenes: how AIs clean up interviews
- Testimonial from a journalist using a voice prompter
- Can you automate news flashes? Live test
- Comparison: synthetic voice vs. human voice on the radio
Potential guests: AI technician, journalist testing voice prompter
2. Transparency in the use of on-air voices
Transparency as an ethical imperative.
In the age of AI-generated voices, transparency is no longer optional — it is an ethical requirement. When a voice heard on air is synthesized or generated by artificial intelligence, audiences have the right to know. Clear disclosure helps maintain trust, prevents deception, and respects listeners’ ability to make informed judgments about what they hear. This principle calls for thoughtful disclosure policies, including on-air announcements, credits, or descriptions that clearly indicate when AI is being used. Transparency does not undermine creativity or innovation; on the contrary, it strengthens public confidence and ensures that the use of AI in radio remains responsible, ethical, and aligned with human-centered values.
Useful links:Ethics of Artificial Intelligence - The Recommendation
Letting the sun shine in: transparency and accountability in the digital age
Guidelines for the governance of digital platforms: Safeguarding freedom of expression and access to information through a multi-stakeholder approach
Sub-themes around this idea for programme content: ways to leverage, develop or angle the topic:
For listeners:
- How should radio stations disclose the use of AI-generated voices to listeners?
- Does transparency about AI voices strengthen trust or change how audiences perceive content?
- What policies can ensure AI in radio is used ethically without misleading the public?
- Does the audience notice the difference? On-air survey
For the radio teams:
- Voice AI: copyright, image rights?
- Sticker on visuals using AI
3. Data protection
When AI and privacy go hand in hand.
Integrating AI tools often involves exporting or analysing content, sometimes via external platforms. But radio manages sensitive data such as voices, testimonials and creations. This idea focuses on the criteria for choosing an AI service: where does the data go? Is it stored? Who has access? Ethical use requires perfect control of data flows.
Useful links:United Nations Digital Library
Data Governance in the Digital Age
Principes mondiaux des Nations Unies pour l’intégrité de l’information
- Recommandations pour une action multipartite
Sub-themes around this idea for programme content: ways to leverage, develop or angle the topic:
For listeners:
- Where does your radio station’s audio data go?
- Do guests refuse to be analyzed by an AI?
- AI in management: who has access to confidential content?
- Local radio vs. large AI platforms
- Have you heard of GDPR?
- Street interview: do you know what centralized AI is?
For the radio teams:
- How do you choose a ‘clean’ AI tool?
- Potential guests: open source or data security specialists, legal experts
4. Increased accessibility
Radio for everyone, thanks to artificial intelligence.
From live transcription for the hearing impaired and voice synthesis for the visually impaired, to automatic translation for minority languages, AI is making radio more accessible than ever. This idea celebrates AI's ability to open up the airwaves to all audiences, without excluding anyone. It is a technical and ethical challenge, but also democratic progress.
Useful links:Disability equality in the media: Representation, accessibility, management
Indigenous Peoples and the media
Journey through the MILtiverse: Media and Information Literacy toolkit for youth organizations
Multilingualism and Linguistic diversity
Sub-themes around this idea for programme content: ways to leverage, develop or angle the topic:
For listeners:
- Demo: the AI that transcribes your show live
- Sign language podcasts: dream or reality?
- Does AI help us to better understand complex subjects?
- Radio for the blind: what tangible benefits can AI bring?
- Feedback from listeners helped by the technology
- Feedback from people with restricted access to radio
For the radio teams:
No specific sub-theme, but potential workshop to experiment with tools
5. Algorithmic bias
When the machine imposes its stereotypes.
AIs learn from the data they are given. If the data is biased, the results will be too. If AI were used in an uncritical way by radio professionals, it could reproduce and amplify stereotypes, including gender stereotypes. This idea raises concerns about side effects: does AI favour certain voices? Does it suppress certain tones or nuances? Human editorial input remains essential to guarantee diversity.
Useful links: Challenging systematic prejudices: an investigation into bias against women and girls in large language models
Tables rondes ministérielles sur les bonnes pratiques s’agissant de lever les obstacles existants pour réduire la fracture numérique entre les genres et promouvoir l’éducation à l’ère du numérique aux fins de la réalisation de l’égalité des genres
5. Algorithmic bias
When the machine imposes its stereotypes.
AIs learn from the data they are given. If the data is biased, the results will be too. If AI were used in an uncritical way by radio professionals, it could reproduce and amplify stereotypes, including gender stereotypes. This idea raises concerns about side effects: does AI favour certain voices? Does it suppress certain tones or nuances? Human editorial input remains essential to guarantee diversity.
Useful links: Challenging systematic prejudices: an investigation into bias against women and girls in large language models
Tables rondes ministérielles sur les bonnes pratiques s’agissant de lever les obstacles existants pour réduire la fracture numérique entre les genres et promouvoir l’éducation à l’ère du numérique aux fins de la réalisation de l’égalité des genres
Sub-themes around this idea for programme content: ways to leverage, develop or angle the topic:
For listeners:
- Translation AI: what is lost in the meaning of the original text?
- Why do your AI-generated music choices lack surprise?
- Does the algorithm favour certain cultures?
- AI and accents or dialects?
Potential guests: AI researcher, activist defending linguistic minorities, gender equality specialist, etc.
For the radio teams:
- Radio exercise: AI and sound diversity quiz
- What strategies could be put in place to ensure that AI nourishes a wider range of perspectives on air?
- How can AI be used to analyse feedback from listeners and social media in real time, in order to identify and counter violent or discriminatory speech against women and girls?
6. Open source AI
Freedom, transparency, participation.
The world of AI is not just a commercial war between web giants. Numerous free, ethical and community-based AI tools are emerging, often developed by researchers or committed groups. The idea is to promote these open source alternatives, which are more transparent, modular and often more respectful of privacy.
Useful links:AI Tools RADAR
Sub-themes around this idea for programme content: ways to leverage, develop or angle the topic:
For listeners:
- What free tools can ethical radio use?
- Live demonstration of open source AI
- Can you create your own radio voice assistant?
- Meeting with developers of free radio solutions
Potential guests: open source developers, members of tech collectives, etc.
For the radio teams:
- Why we should reject ‘black box’ tools
- Risk of damaging journalistic credibility
- Editorial independence and technological dependence?
7. AI Training
Understanding for a better choice.
Adopting AI isn’t about imposing it on others. It's about understanding what it can do, what it can't do, and how to integrate it intelligently and ethically. This idea encourages each radio station to offer awareness-raising sessions, practical training courses or even in-house debates. Because the more the team understands the tool, the better they will use it.
Useful links: Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
User empowerment through media and information literacy responses to the evolution of generative artificial intelligence (GAI)
Artificial intelligence for good
Sub-themes around this idea for programme content: ways to leverage, develop or angle the topic:
- Interview with an AI trainer for journalists
- How to organize an AI test session in your newsroom
- AI: a source of fear or creativity?
- What role for AI in journalism schools?
- Debate between ‘analogue’ and ‘digital’ radio generations
- Brainstorm: “AI scares me when...” Suggested team workshop? facilitator + technician
- Cross-training: veterans/new recruits
- AI for prevention: e.g. to monitor online threats against media professionals
8. Assisted journalism
Can AI really investigate?
AI can make it quicker to verify data, cross-check sources, warn of dubious information, and more. But it can also generate deepfakes and made-up stories. This idea questions the boundary between assistance and manipulation. It's not about rejecting the tool, but establishing safeguards. Augmented journalism is still ethical journalism.
Useful links:AI and the future of journalism: an issue brief for stakeholders
Example of an information integrity challenge:Freedom of expression, artificial intelligence and elections
For listeners:
- AI that sums up the news: gain or loss?
- Are AIs better at detecting misinformation?
- AI and investigation: useful or dangerous?
- Can we trust a fact-checker AI?
- Test: live interaction with AI?
For the radio teams:
- List to create: automated verification tools and tools to detect false information
- Thoughts from the editorial team: what should we do with the AI results?
- Sources: reliability and verifiability
- Practical workshop: role-playing with AI and fact-checking
- Digital security tools and AI to sort anonymous contributions received via secure channels
- Setting up protocols: human control + automated tool
9. Editorial suggestions
A tool to assist, not replace the reporter.
Some AI tools can summarize a long article, generate angle ideas or prioritize topics based on current events. AI can also become a strategic tool for reducing informational blind spots in places or contexts where reporting is impossible due to censorship, conflict or lack of access. But the angle, tone, narrative and reporting remain human choices. This idea encourages an active stance: AI suggests, but never decides. The journalist remains the author. AI is a pencil, not a pen. AI is a tool, not a voice.
Useful links:AI and the future of journalism: an issue brief for stakeholders
Sub-themes around this idea for programme content: ways to leverage, develop or angle the topic:
For listeners:
- What does AI suggest today? Let’s test it live
- AI and local content: relevant or guesswork?
- Do AIs influence the editorial line?
- Test: AI suggests 3 subjects. How many do I keep?
For the radio teams:
- Create an AI suggestion box for the team?
- Experimentation workshops: writing based on AI suggestions
- Internal discussion: AI and creativity: complement or constraint?
- AI: using data to produce radio surveys; e.g. children's rights under threat
- Use of AI for indirect reporting: satellite imagery, OSINT and others to document ‘silent zones’.
10. Connected listeners
A new form of interaction.
Radio stations can use AI to get to know its audiences better, analysing feedback, answering questions, creating more personalized content, producing and broadcasting dedicated programmes and/or broadcasting programmes about AI-related challenges. From voice chatbots and automated surveys, to intelligent archives, the tools are already available. This idea paves the way for greater interactivity – as long as machines do not replace genuine discussion.
For listeners:
- AI for managing calls and messages?
- On-air chatbot: friendly or cold?
- Programme personalization: gadget or revolution?
- Should we create programmes dedicated to AI and its challenges?
For the radio teams:
- Automatic listener feedback analysis
- Testing tools for categorising reactions
- Reflection on how personalization affects the editorial line
- Setting up live interactive surveys
- Audience segmentation based on listening habits
- Adapting programme schedules in real time based on detected trends
11. AI sound creation
AI for sound design and creation.
Artificial intelligence is opening up a whole new field of sound creation. Anything from generating a jingle to composing a mood and mixing a voice with background music can now be assisted, or even carried out, by an AI. But the question remains: can an algorithm translate artistic intent? This idea encourages us to experiment with hybrid sound formats and to try out AI-generated sound design, while emphasizing that creative decisions, narrative choices, and artistic direction remain human responsibilities. A new sonic grammar is emerging — one defined by collaboration, suggestion, and thoughtful human engagement.
Useful links:WIPO Conversation on Intellectual Property and Frontier Technologies
Mondiacult - Artificial intelligence and culture
Artificial intelligence and art: a decisive moment?
For listeners:
- How does the role of sound directors or composers change when AI assists in production?
- How can we balance AI contributions with human creativity and judgment?
- What practices ensure AI use in sound respects human rights and does not replace artistic judgment?
- Differences between human and AI-generated sound identity
- Potential guests: composer, AI sound designer, radio producer, sound artist, art and AI labs
Potential guests: composer, AI sound designer, radio producer, sound artist, art and AI labs
For the radio teams:
- AI as a sound design assistant: comparative test
- Who owns the sound signature? What about copyright?
- Hybrid creation workshop: human voice, AI sound design
- Automatic generation of personalized jingles and sound effects using AI
12. Memory and AI
Radio stations have thousands of hours of archives, often underutilized because they are difficult to index, browse or restore. AI can transform this dormant memory into an active resource, harnessing transcription, keyword searching, automatic summary and thematic upgrading. When direct reporting is impossible, coverage can be enhanced by historical archives. This idea raises the question of what we preserve, what we transmit, and the editorial mission linked to how we use augmented memory.
Useful links:Memory of the World
Managing low-cost digitization projects in Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States
For listeners:
- Testimonial: rebroadcasting or reinterpreting old feature segments
- Memory engine or erasure machine?
- Personalized access to sound archives, on air in real time
- Personalized access to sound archives, via interface
- Participatory features: “Tell us which radio memories you want to listen back to”
- Live voting
For the radio teams:
- How can we use AI to add value to archives?
- AI for summarising and restoring old content
- Voice search engines in older podcasts
- 10 years of podcasts in 10 minutes
- Using archives to hold executives to account
- Instant real-time contextualization during a debate or interview
13. Low-tech and local AI
AI accessible to all radio stations.
Not all radio stations have access to the powerful servers, high-speed connections or premium subscriptions of the big AI platforms. And yet solutions do exist for experimenting with forms of artificial intelligence locally, on modest machines or using open source tools. This idea highlights the technical accessibility of AI and encourages regional, community and independent radio stations to take advantage of these resources, including local transcription, titling AI and thematic clustering. It's a localized, lightweight, controlled AI adapted to the realities of each region.
Sub-themes around this idea for programme content: ways to leverage, develop or angle the topic:
For listeners:
- Listeners meet radio stations testing lightweight open source AIs
- Low-tech AI: a tool for technological independence?
- Participatory workshops to discover local AI
- Comparison between well-equipped and more modest radio stations
- Audience testimonials on the use of AI in regional areas
Potential guests: local radio presenter, developer of open source solutions, representative of a technology NGO, etc.
For the radio teams:
- What AI solutions are available for regional and community radio stations?
- Demonstration of tools that run without an Internet connection
- Can Whisper be deployed locally? Whisper is an open source speech recognition system developed by Open AI, capable of transcribing and translating audio files in a wide range of languages.
- Workshop: installing and testing a local AI on a radio set
- Use of local voices to provide testimonials and verified updates in restricted areas
Poster 2026 World Radio Day
Poster de la Journée Mondiale de la Radio.
