YouTube has a brand-new Labs program, permitting listeners to “discover the next generation of YouTube.” In case you were questioning, that generation is obviously everything about AI. The streaming website states Labs will provide a look of the AI includes it’s establishing for YouTube Music, and it begins with AI “hosts” that will chime in while you’re listening to music. Yes, truly.

The brand-new AI music hosts are expected to supply a richer listening experience, according to YouTube. As you’re listening to tunes, the AI will create audio bits comparable to, however much shorter than, the phony podcasts you can produce in NotebookLM. The “Beyond the Beat” host will break in once in awhile with appropriate stories, trivia, and commentary about your musical tastes. YouTube states this function will appear when you are listening to blends and radio stations.

The speculative function is meant to be a bit like having a radio host drop some lively small talk while cueing up the next tune. It sounds a bit like Spotify’s AI DJ, however the YouTube AI does not produce playlists like Spotify’s robotic. This is still generative AI, which includes the threat of hallucinations and low-grade slop, neither of which belongs in your music. That stated, Google’s Audio Overviews are typically remarkably excellent in little dosages.