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In a significant response to the growing presence of synthetic audio in media, iHeartRadio, the media conglomerate behind more than 850 radio stations across the United States, has formally introduced an initiative called Guaranteed Human. As of late November 2025, all on-air DJs and podcasts across the iHeartRadio network are required to include the tagline “Guaranteed Human” in their hourly legal identifications. This policy explicitly prohibits the use of AI-generated voices, synthetic vocal tracks, or digital hosts attempting to replicate human presence. It represents a deliberate reaffirmation of the company’s commitment to authentic human connection in an increasingly automated industry.
This initiative comes at a pivotal moment for traditional radio broadcasting, a sector facing considerable challenges including job reductions and declines in advertising revenue, while simultaneously confronting the rapid rise of AI technologies that can simulate human speech and music production. According to Tom Poleman, iHeartRadio’s programming chief, the company’s stance is clear: “We do not use AI-generated personalities. We do not play AI music featuring synthetic vocalists pretending to be human. The podcasts we publish are also Guaranteed Human.” This ethos is not merely a regulatory stance, but a defining brand principle, reflecting the belief that audiences seek genuine human voices, stories, and experiences amid the proliferation of automated media.
Despite this rejection of AI in on-air roles, iHeartRadio continues to employ artificial intelligence behind the scenes for tasks such as scheduling, audience analysis, editing, and workflow management. This approach emphasizes AI as a tool that supports human creativity rather than replaces it. The Guaranteed Human initiative therefore delineates a clear boundary between AI’s supportive functions and its potential to supplant human performers.
Beyond its operational implications, the launch of Guaranteed Human signals a broader cultural moment. In an era where generative audio tools are poised to saturate both streaming platforms and traditional radio, iHeartRadio’s decision asserts the importance of human nuance, emotional depth, and authenticity. This move reframes the role of the radio station as not just a broadcaster of sound, but as a cultural interpreter that channels lived experience and personality through real human voices.
The coming months will test the efficacy and reception of this initiative. It remains to be seen whether listeners will prioritize and gravitate toward programming that emphasizes human authenticity over AI-generated novelty and efficiency. Regardless, iHeartRadio’s Guaranteed Human policy contributes meaningfully to ongoing debates about the future of music, media, and cultural production in an age increasingly defined by automation and synthetic media.
