Leading U.S. radio network iHeartRadio announced Tuesday that it will no longer air AI-generated music or use synthetic voices in its broadcasts, calling the move a commitment to authenticity.
Under the new initiative, dubbed “Guaranteed Human,” on-air DJs must include the declaration “Guaranteed Human” in their hourly legal station identification to confirm that listeners are hearing real people—not AI-created voices.
This ban will have an immediate impact on Timbaland’s AI artist TaTa and Hallwood Media’s act Xania Monet
In a memo to staff, programming head Tom Poleman wrote, “We don’t use AI-generated personalities. We don’t play AI music that features synthetic vocalists pretending to be human. And the podcasts we publish are also Guaranteed Human.”
While iHeartRadio continues to use AI tools behind the scenes—for distribution, scheduling, and analytics—the company says the content that reaches listeners will remain wholly human-produced.
The move reflects growing concern over the increasing prevalence of AI-generated audio. The company cited internal research showing many consumers prefer connection with real voices amid a media landscape saturated by artificial content.
With this decision, iHeartRadio positions itself among the first major audio networks to draw a clear line against synthetic music and AI-driven on-air personalities.
