Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little Spar with Radio Bosses Over 'AI-Generated' Farewell
Radio hosts mock a company press release that celebrated their decade on air with fabricated achievements and factual errors.
Radio hosts Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little have publicly criticized their own network's bosses over a farewell statement commemorating their nearly decade-long run on air, which they claim contained numerous factual inaccuracies and appeared to be generated by artificial intelligence.
The departing stars of The Hit Network's drive show, who announced their program would conclude later this year, dedicated a portion of their broadcast to dissecting the press release issued by their employer.
Tommy Little suggested the statement's errors indicated it might have been produced using AI. "A press release was put out by our esteemed network after we did the announcement on-air that the show was finishing up," Little said. "It thanked us for our 10 years of service, and then it started to take a bit of a turn."
One of the first inaccuracies noted was the misspelling of Bickmore's "Beanies for Brain Cancer" charity as "Brian cancer." Bickmore humorously corrected this, stating, "I should point out I try to raise money for brain cancer, not just Brian's cancers."
The hosts also expressed bewilderment at the press release's mention of an "icy Tassie lake plunge," with both denying any memory of such an event. "Braving their icy Tassie lake plunge' ... was I there for that?" Little asked. "I don't remember ever doing a Tassie lake plunge... because we've never done that."
Further raising the hosts' amusement was the inclusion of "legendary mystery bus tours," an activity neither could recall participating in. "Obviously, our annual roast, which has been great, and our 'legendary mystery bus tours'... I certainly missed that one. That was a mystery to me," Bickmore stated.
Little expressed frustration that significant real achievements, such as giving away a million dollars, were omitted from the tribute, while fabricated events like the bus tours were highlighted. "We gave away a million dollars and that didn't get a mention, but our legendary mystery bus tours that never happened did," he said.
Little conducted an experiment by asking ChatGPT for information about the radio pair. He reported that the AI's response also included the dubious Tasmanian lake plunge and bus tour anecdotes, reinforcing his suspicion that AI was used in drafting the official statement.
The press release has since been removed from the network's website. Additionally, an Instagram clip of Bickmore and Little mocking the statement, which had garnered over 125,000 views, and the corresponding podcast episode on the Listnr platform, also appear to have been taken down.
The Carrie & Tommy show, which is reportedly the third most-listened-to network radio program in Australia, is scheduled to end by the close of the year. Bickmore is slated to join KIIS FM's national Drive lineup, a move that industry insiders suggest was prompted by uncertainty surrounding the future of her show with Little. Sources indicate that Bickmore began exploring other opportunities after learning her current program was in jeopardy.
While Bickmore is moving to ARN, Little is not expected to join her there, though some production staff might transfer with Bickmore. The show's cancellation reportedly caught staff by surprise, leaving them blindsided and seeking clarity on their futures after weeks of hoping for new contracts.