AI Slop FM radio experiment puts machines on trial, one dodgy tune at a time

A Welsh music enthusiast has built an internet radio station that plays AI-generated tunes alongside human-made tracks without telling listeners which is which, to find out whether listeners really hate AI music or just the idea of it.

AI Slop FM is the creation of Mike Chaffin, who built and runs the station single-handedly from Ammanford, Carmarthenshire. By stripping away artist names, cover art, and any mention of AI, Chaffin hopes to find out what listeners really think when they have nothing but the music to go on.

The free 24/7 station asks listeners to rate tracks from S to E, tag how the music makes them feel, and leave written feedback. The most popular submissions will eventually make it into a weekly chart called the Slop 40, giving creators something that can be hard to come by in the age of streaming: an actual audience.

Anyone can submit a track, including human musicians, although Chaffin has already discovered that …