RSS.com Patents Ghost AI for Advanced Podcast Advertising

Gandhinagar: In an interview with James Cridland on the Podnews Weekly Review, Alberto Betella, from RSS.com, discusses Ghost AI, that received a patent recently, utilizes voice cloning for programmatic podcast ads. The conversation explores the patent’s origins, its potential applications, ethical considerations, and the psychological underpinnings of its effectiveness, specifically focusing on the concept of parasocial relationships.

Betella explains that the initial motivation for developing Ghost AI stemmed from a desire to secure an “inventor badge” for himself and his co-founder. However, the process of developing and patenting the technology led them to recognize a significant industry need for a solution like Ghost AI.

Upgraded my gear and put together a small podcast setup! New Year’s proposition: podcast more 🎙️✨ pic.twitter.com/DVpVrDIaPk

— Alberto Betella (@albertobeta) November 30, 2024

Betella explains that the initial motivation for developing Ghost AI stemmed from a desire to secure an “inventor badge” for himself and his co-founder. However, the process of developing and patenting the technology led them to recognize a significant industry need for a solution like Ghost AI.

Ghost AI addresses the challenge of creating engaging and personalized ads for podcasts, particularly for hosts who want a more personalized approach than generic text-to-speech options. The technology allows hosts to clone their voices, enabling the programmatic generation of ads that maintain a consistent tone and style with their regular podcast content. This approach aims to streamline ad workflows, reducing the time and effort required to create numerous ad variations while potentially enhancing listener engagement.

Betella emphasizes that the voice cloning process would be conducted with the full consent and approval of the hosts, adhering to ethical guidelines and FTC regulations. This transparency aims to alleviate concerns about potential misuse of the technology.

Betella explains that the technology leverages “prosodic features” of a voice, such as accent, intonation, pitch, and rhythm, to create a realistic and engaging clone. These features contribute to the unique characteristics of an individual’s voice, allowing for a more personalized and relatable listening experience.

He further emphasizes that the closer the cloned voice resembles the original host’s voice, the more effective it becomes in tapping into the listener’s parasocial relationship with the host.

Betella explains the concept of parasocial relationships as a one-sided bond formed between media personalities, such as podcast hosts, and their audience. While the host might not have personal knowledge of their listeners, listeners often develop a sense of intimacy and familiarity with the host through repeated exposure to their content.

This feeling of connection fosters trust and engagement, making listeners more receptive to messages delivered by the host, even if those messages are delivered through a cloned voice. Betella argues that Ghost AI utilizes this inherent psychological mechanism to create more compelling and effective advertising experiences.

While the potential benefits of Ghost AI are highlighted, the interview also touches upon concerns about the ethical implications of using voice cloning technology in advertising. Betella reiterates the importance of obtaining host consent and adhering to ethical guidelines, but broader industry discussions, as captured in other sources, suggest a need for ongoing conversations and careful consideration of the potential impact of such technology on listener trust and the integrity of the podcasting medium.

“This patent, which will be built under the GOST AI brand, underscores RSS.com’s commitment to empowering creators with tools to simplify workflows while increasing value”, said Ben Richardson, co-founder of RSS.com .

“Host-read ads are already an effective format for both brands and podcast hosts”, said Alberto Betella, co-founder of RSS.com (above, left). “With this new technology, we can now offer what we call GOST-read ads, designed to scale the essence of host-read ads, with significant time and cost savings for both hosts and brands, all while prioritizing ethical considerations”.

Betella also highlights the potential for Ghost AI to facilitate the internationalization of podcast ads. The technology’s ability to replicate prosodic features could enable the creation of ads tailored to specific languages and regional accents, further enhancing listener engagement and expanding the reach of podcast content.

The conversation concludes with an invitation for potential partners to collaborate on the development and commercialization of Ghost AI. Betella sees Ghost AI as a potential solution to a pressing industry need for efficient and effective podcast advertising while acknowledging the importance of addressing ethical concerns and ensuring responsible implementation.