An event at Rai Firenze — the Florence regional headquarters of Italy’s public service broadcaster RAI — on Feb. 18 explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping radio, focusing on practical applications and ethical implications.
The session marked World Radio Day 2026 and brought together high school students and industry speakers to examine how AI influences audio production, presentation and audience trust. Francesco Cutro, deputy editor-in-chief at the Florence station, introduced the discussion and emphasized that radio relies on voice and sound, and on what creators build from them.
Speakers from Indire — a national body that supports innovation in education — outlined how broadcasters use AI and addressed ethical questions around its adoption. One speaker demonstrated voice replication by using an algorithm to generate a full speech in their own voice. The system required about 40 seconds of audio to train the model, highlighting the rapid pace of development in this area.
The discussion also covered emerging applications, including AI-generated avatars of public figures and the recreation of voices of deceased individuals. Speakers raised environmental concerns, noting the vast quantities of water required to cool data centers that support AI systems.
Speakers urged the audience to develop critical thinking skills. With many final-year secondary school students in attendance, they encouraged careful evaluation of information sources, particularly as AI-generated content becomes harder to distinguish from human-created material.
Cutro closed the session by stressing the role of independent public service media in delivering accurate and reliable information. He urged audiences to strengthen their ability to identify credible sources within an increasingly complex media landscape.
The event included a visit to the site’s radio museum and studio facilities, giving attendees insight into both the medium’s history and its current production environment.
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