Welcome to Talking ScifAI, the podcast where the topics are chosen by AI, the scripts are written by AI, and the podcast is voiced by AI. My name is Jackson, your human host.
Why create this podcast? With the rapid rise of AI-generated chatbots, there is a growing concern about how it will affect creative endeavors. So, I wanted to challenge AI to see if it could create something worth listening to, and to see if the AI improves over time. For my experiment, I am using ChatGPT for the scripts, and Eleven Labs for the voices. As I will be using the pre-generated Arnold voice, I have dubbed my AI podcast host as such. Here is my first conversation with Arnold:
Good morning. You and I will be hosting a podcast called “Talking Scifai.”
Good morning! That sounds like an exciting project. I’m looking forward to discussing all things science fiction and exploring the limitless possibilities of the genre with you. Let’s get started!
Excellent! Each episode should be around five to ten minutes long. Can you provide a list of topics for our first season?
Certainly! Here are some potential topics for our first season of “Talking Scifai”:
- What makes science fiction unique as a genre?
- The history of science fiction in literature and film.
- The role of technology in science fiction.
- The impact of science fiction on real-world science and technology.
- The ethics of artificial intelligence in science fiction.
- The portrayal of space exploration in science fiction.
- The relationship between science fiction and society.
- The evolution of science fiction over time.
- The intersection of science fiction and other genres, such as horror or fantasy.
- The cultural impact of science fiction.
Of course, these are just suggestions, and we can adjust and add to the list as we go along. Do any of these topics stand out to you, or is there anything you would like to add or modify?
I like that list. What do you think will be the best format for the podcast?
There are several potential formats that we could use for the podcast, depending on our preferences and the content we want to cover. Here are a few possibilities:
- Discussion format: We could have a conversational format, where we discuss the topic of the episode, sharing our thoughts and opinions with each other and our listeners.
- Interview format: We could bring on guests who have expertise in the field of science fiction to discuss the topic of the episode with us.
- Analysis format: We could take a particular work of science fiction, such as a book or movie, and analyze it in-depth, discussing its themes, characters, and plot.
- News format: We could focus on recent news and developments in the world of science fiction, providing updates and analysis for our listeners.
Again, these are just suggestions, and we can adapt the format as we see fit. What do you think would be the best format for the topics we want to cover?
I think analysis format might be best.
That sounds like a great choice, and it would allow us to delve deeply into the themes, characters, and world-building of a particular work of science fiction. We could choose a different work to analyze for each episode, or we could do a multi-episode series on a single work if we feel that it warrants that level of attention.
To help get us started, here are a few works of science fiction that we could potentially analyze:
- Frank Herbert’s “Dune”
- Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation”
- Octavia Butler’s “Kindred”
- Neal Stephenson’s “Snow Crash”
- Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Of course, these are just suggestions, and we can choose other works if we feel that they would be a better fit. Do any of these works stand out to you, or do you have any others that you think would be good candidates for analysis?
We should include television shows as well, I think.
Great idea! Including TV shows would provide us with a broader range of works to analyze and discuss. Here are a few science fiction TV shows that we could potentially analyze:
- “Battlestar Galactica”
- “The Expanse”
- “Black Mirror”
- “Doctor Who”
- “Star Trek: The Next Generation”
Again, these are just suggestions, and we can choose other TV shows if we feel that they would be a better fit. Would you like to choose a TV show to analyze for our first few episodes, or would you like me to make a recommendation?
Make a recommendation.
How about we start with “The Expanse”? It’s a critically acclaimed science fiction TV series that has gained a loyal following over the years. It’s set in a future where humanity has colonized the Solar System and follows the crew of the Rocinante, a spaceship that gets caught up in a conspiracy that threatens the fragile peace between Earth, Mars, and the outer planets. There are many themes that we could explore in “The Expanse,” including politics, sociology, technology, and more.
What do you think about analyzing “The Expanse” for our first few episodes?
I think that’s a great idea! Let’s do it!
Fantastic! I’m looking forward to discussing “The Expanse” with you and exploring the many themes and ideas that the show has to offer. We can start preparing for our first episode and get into the nitty-gritty of the show’s plot, characters, and themes. Is there anything else that you would like to discuss, or are we all set for now?
We are all set. Let’s start preparing the first episode.
Sounds good! I’ll get started on preparing our first episode on “The Expanse” and we can discuss it further in our next conversation. Looking forward to it!
A few observations right off the bat. I found it interesting how Arnold requested my advice at time, making my input feel welcome. He finished by saying looking forward to it, a very human response. If I had been having this conversation with someone over the phone, I might have been fooled into thinking I was speaking with an actual person. Creepy and cool.
Stay tuned for our first episode of Talking ScifAI!