Amplifying Voices, Not Replacing Them: Community Radio in India in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Manoj Deori, Kanchan K. Malik · Journal of Radio & Audio Media · 2025
Community radio distinguishes itself from mainstream media by embracing people’s participation and localism and amplifying unheard voices. As AI becomes prevalent in media, its content-creation capabilities redefine production values. This shift may negatively affect community radio by weakening participation, disengaging local identity, and homogenising content. This paper explores the implications of AI integration with community radio, discussing ethical caveats and participatory downsides of adopting AI in maintaining the platform’s human and participatory nature. It elaborates on Paulo Freire’s critical consciousness concept to argue for a cautious AI integration, ensuring it remains a tool for empowerment and democracy rather than control.