World Radio Day: Radio and Artificial Intelligence
World Radio Day examines the intersection of radio and different topics of importance (Jesse Woodward/CHLY 101.7FM — UNESCO)
Established by UNESCO, since 2011, February 13th has marked World Radio Day, a day to celebrate what is still a powerful communication medium for entertainment and dissemination of information. This year the event will explore the intersection of radio and artificial intelligence (AI).
From UNESCO’s website:
Radio and AI
“AI is a tool, not a voice.”
Radio stands at a moment of transformation where AI can help strengthen its core mission: informing, educating, and entertaining. By automating routine tasks—like scheduling, voice-tracking, weather and sports updates, and administrative workflows—stations can free teams to focus on creativity and connection.
AI also supports deeper audience insights, more relevant advertising, personalized listening experiences, and the amplification of under represented voices. With tools that enhance fact checking, validation, and archival discovery, radio can deliver higher quality content while maintaining human judgment at the center. These innovations ultimately reinforce what matters most: listener trust.
AI can drive the next wave of media innovation
UNESCO established World Radio Day in 2011.
To use AI responsibly, broadcasters need thoughtful strategy rather than just technology. This includes creating ethical internal policies, protecting privacy and data ownership, ensuring transparency, and handling generative audio with care. It also means investing in staff skills and collaboration and putting legal and security safeguards in place to manage emerging risks.
UNESCO’s World Radio Day 2026 initiative encourages stations to approach AI as an opportunity for growth and innovation—while preserving the warmth, reliability, and human touch that audiences value.
13 ideas we’ll work to explore this year
Every year for World Radio Day, UNESCO invites those participating to explore, 13 ideas for radio stations and their listeners to explore. While this year we did not have capacity to create a program for broadcast on February 13th, we may look to explore these ideas throughout the next year.
This years 13 ideas are the following:
Augmented Voice
Transparency in the use of on-air voices
Data protection
Increased accessibility
Algorithmic bias
Open source AI
AI Training
Assisted journalism
Editorial suggestions
Connected listeners
AI sound creation
Memory and AI
Low-tech and local AI
Detailed descriptions on how listeners and stations can explore the above ideas can be found here.
Free AI Training Sessions
As part of the day, UNESCO is offering free training sessions through their partner organizations.
World Radio Day (WRD) has, each year, stood as a moment of celebration and empowerment for the global broadcasting community. On the distinguished occasion of WRD 2026, the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) Academy, Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM), and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) Academy unite in a spirit of collaboration and excellence to present specialized training sessions on Artificial Intelligence tailored for radio broadcasters.
These sessions, offered free of charge, reflect the unwavering commitment of ASBU Academy, DRM, and EBU Academy to advancing knowledge, fostering innovation, and strengthening radio broadcasting in an evolving media landscape. Their generosity and vision stand as a testament to the enduring power of partnership in service of the broadcasting world. Access them, share them and be part of the future of radio.
I look forward to participating in some of the training sessions myself!
Engage with us on the intersection of radio and AI
Are you a listener or reader who has a thought on any of the 13 ideas? We invite you to email us through our contact form.