UI Extension’s new Idaho SEED Podcast using AI technology to highlight research

In the pilot episode of University of Idaho Extension’s new agriculture-themed podcast, the cohosts liken ravenous rodents known as voles to a “crop-destroying army of stealthy, little ninjas.”

“Those voles are really putting us to the test lately,” the male podcast host explains. “It seems like they’re munching on our crops like it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet.”

The cohosts are never identified, but they demonstrate a thorough knowledge of Idaho agriculture and voice personal frustrations regarding the damage wrought by voles. The twist is the cohosts aren’t real people. The Idaho Short Educational Extension Discussions (SEED) Podcast is created using artificial intelligence (AI), generated from research-based publications and scientific papers authored by UI Extension scientists.

Unique format

Listeners are told at the beginning of each episode that AI was used to create dialogue, but the science is sound and has been carefully vetted by U of I subject-matter experts.

Episodes will be posted every three weeks and can be accessed by searching for Idaho SEED Podcast on major podcast platforms. The author of the featured publication will introduce each 20-minute episode, paired with a link to the full text of the research. Idaho SEED will showcase UI Extension’s diverse research portfolio for a general audience, without jargon or technical analysis.

Jason Thomas, a UI Extension educator based in Minidoka County who specializes in integrated pest management of insects and rodents, launched Idaho SEED on June 27, using USDA grant funding. He envisions farmers will tune in while driving their tractors to glean ways to improve their bottom lines. Other stakeholders may marvel at UI Extension’s scientific breakthroughs during morning walks.

Thomas believes he’s among the early adopters of using AI to make a formal podcast, especially for Extension purposes. Researchers have busy schedules, and AI makes the production process quick and efficient, while distilling complex papers into simple terms. Spanish-language podcasts can also be made with a click of a button.

“I haven’t seen people take it to the scale of actually paying for a podcast hosting and doing some professional additions to it,” Thomas said of Idaho SEED. “We’ve got to find every way possible to reach more people and make our content more relevant.”

Highlighting Extension

The pilot episode, “The Vole Patrol,” is based on Thomas’ 2020 bulletin “Utilizing Barn Owl Boxes for Management of Vole Populations” and offers guidance and designs for making houses for barn owls as a strategy to control voles.

Thomas also used AI technology to generate the podcast’s catchy country and western theme song — “UI experts; the knowledge you need. Right here, right now, it’s Idaho SEED!”

UI Extension educators Grant Loomis, Blaine County, and Jared Gibbons, Madison County, will assist Thomas in producing the podcast. Several episodes poised for future release have already been produced. For example, an episode will cover “Livestock Care for Beginning and Small-scale Producers,” which is a bulletin by Extension educator Rebecca Mills, Gem County. Another episode will delve into “Answers to Common Questions about Greenhouse Gases,” a 2022 bulletin by Extension educator Mario de Haro Martí, Gooding County, Lide Chen, a professor in the Department of Soil and Water Systems, and Eric Winford, associate director of the Rangeland Center.

Technophile

Thomas has a long history of experimenting with new computer technologies. His production process entails entering scientific literature into Google Notebook LM to create multiple podcast versions, sometimes piecing together the best parts from different ones. The AI software occasionally hallucinates, producing false or misleading information from nonexistent patterns. For example, AI once incorrectly referenced spraying rodenticides on fields, when in actuality they are applied as solid bait. Fortunately, errors are limited and are easily corrected in editing. Occasional AI tangents surface and can also be deleted.

Thomas finds that his AI podcast hosts are prone to telling jokes that usually land flat. He prefers to leave them in the final product, as a humorous reminder that AI still has its shortcomings.

Reaching farmers

To gauge receptiveness to an AI-generated podcast about Extension research, Thomas surveyed farmers attending Extension pest-management forums. Most respondents were interested and indicated that they’d likely download it.

“What we do as Extension educators is often not easy for farmers to understand,” Thomas said. “Large documents can be intimidating for someone who doesn’t know what they’re looking for. We want to drive people to our publications, and if you understand the ‘why’ and the ‘how,’ you are going to get more out of it.”