The Bavarian State Center for New Media (BLM) has given Antenne Deutschland its approval to launch a new station programed and presented by artificial intelligence —Absolut Radio AI.
Absolut Radio AI originally launched in July 2023 as an online streaming service, as well as on a local DAB multiplex in Braunschweig, Germany, from August 2023. The broadcaster is now looking to take the channel national via DAB+.
Because Antenne Deutschland is based in Garching, Bavaria, the state media regular had to give its approval to the project. Before launching nationally, approval must also be granted by the federal Commission for Licensing and Supervision (ZAK), which coordinates Germany’s 14 state-level broadcast regulators when broadcasters operate nationally.
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BLM President Dr. Thorsten Schmiege stated that the BLM scrutinized the proposed service closely to ensure it would comply with German media laws and requirements.
“The Media Council is breaking new ground, as there has been no comparable review [of a full AI-powered radio station] to date — inside or outside of Germany,” stated Schmiege. “The decisive factors for the approval of Absolut Radio AI were transparency and labeling when using AI as well as control by the editorial team.”
In its statement on the decision, BLM noted the importance of allowing media companies to test the potential of artificial intelligence in practice. “Absolut Radio AI is a pioneer here and is very aware of its human responsibility when dealing with AI,” Schmiege stated.
The station programming is moderated by two AI-based presenters, kAI and Aileen, and the station slogan “hier moderiert Künstliche Intelligenz” (moderated by AI) makes clear the primacy of artificial intelligence on the station.
[Related: “Absolut Radio Gets a Head Start With AI”]
