An AI DJ can say your name and play your favorite songs, but it comes up short against a human every time.
Let’s be honest — artificial intelligence is everywhere. From the car you drive to the messaging apps on your phone and even your glasses, AI has become part of our daily lives. It’s so ubiquitous that it’s almost background noise for me at this point. But recently, one new AI feature caught my attention: Spotify’s AI DJ.
After years of using top-40 radio and algorithm-generated playlists, I’m no stranger to music picked by machines. But spending a week with Spotify’s AI DJ highlighted a significant reality of our AI-saturated moment. It’s surprisingly lifelike, plays a lot of songs I enjoy, and even calls me by name. But for anyone who’s experienced a real human DJ’s touch — like I do regularly on my favorite local indie station — there’s a warmth and connection that AI just can’t replicate.
Spotify’s AI DJ: Close, But No KEXP
Spotify’s AI DJ rolled out in early 2023, but it took me a while to check it out. Looking for work-friendly tunes, I gave it a try. After an uncanny “hello” addressed to me by name, the AI DJ gave a quick intro and lined up some “dream pop and neo-psychedelic waves” just for me. I had to admit: it was absolutely my vibe. Spotify knows my taste intimately, thanks to the years I’ve spent on the platform, and it even played Classixx, whose Hanging Gardens album was a regular in my rotation last year.
But as much as I enjoyed the experience, there’s something Spotify can’t imitate: KEXP, my favorite Seattle radio station, where human DJs curate playlists, live and in real-time. KEXP isn’t just another station — it’s a community space and a vital part of Seattle’s indie music scene. Unlike algorithms that cycle through my most-listened-to songs, KEXP offers me surprises, rare finds, and deep cuts that even the most advanced AI hasn’t figured out I might like. For example, I heard Classixx on KEXP long before I ever saved it on Spotify. There’s an authenticity to KEXP’s playlists that makes it special, a quality that no AI can truly reproduce.
Why Real DJs Are Worth Celebrating
Seattle’s music scene is lucky to have KEXP, an independent radio station broadcasting at 90.3 FM. I started streaming KEXP years before I even moved here, but living in the city has only deepened my love for it. When the “new” KEXP location opened in 2016, I joined the crowd celebrating, and I’ve spent countless hours working in their community gathering space, soaking in the station’s culture. Seeing favorite bands play free shows there — like one of my favorites just before they broke up — is the kind of memory Spotify’s AI DJ can’t match. I wish every city had a KEXP, a real station where humans connect through music and share what they genuinely love.
Of course, I don’t love everything KEXP plays. “The Friday Song,” for example, is practically banned in our house. I also can’t quite get into Wet Leg no matter how many times I try. But that’s exactly the magic of a real radio station — it’s not a curated list of my favorites but a mix of hits, misses, surprises, and occasional rediscoveries. It’s a balanced meal, while AI playlists feel more like a sugary dessert buffet: all my favorites all the time, great for a while but ultimately lacking depth.
The Magic of Human Connection
To some, the concept of a real DJ might seem outdated in this algorithm-driven age, but that’s exactly what makes KEXP’s DJs special. They’re real people, out in the Seattle community, hosting local events, and even shopping at the same grocery co-op. This human connection makes all the difference: when a song comes on KEXP and I know it’s there because a DJ genuinely loves it, it resonates in a way that no algorithm can replicate.
Evie Stokes, DJ and host of KEXP’s Drive Time, put it well: being on air and sharing music is “a way of connecting with thousands of people across the world.” Stokes has opened up on-air about her journey to sobriety, and listeners regularly reach out, sharing their own experiences. It’s a two-way bond that runs deeper than simply spinning tracks, and it’s something a machine can’t replicate.
When AI DJ Hits Its Limit
I’m often listening to Spotify’s AI features during my workday. I can’t focus on writing when there are lyrics or spoken-word segments, so I typically use lofi or jazz playlists that keep me in the zone. Spotify’s AI-generated playlists work well for this. I simply pick a mood, and it handles the rest. There’s no illusion of a human hand behind these playlists, which is part of what makes them effective. They’re utilitarian, good for focus, but not intended to create a connection or stir emotion.
The AI DJ, however, feels different. It’s almost like Spotify is pushing AI’s boundaries here, attempting to simulate a personal connection. Generative AI may be exciting, and tech companies are busy embedding it everywhere, but music curation is a field where humans still hold the advantage. Polish radio station Radio Trójka learned this the hard way when it tried — and quickly abandoned — an AI-hosted program, which failed to connect with its audience in the same way real DJs could.
Is Anyone Actually Asking for an AI DJ?
Do people genuinely want an AI DJ who knows their name? Do they crave AI-generated direct messages from their favorite creators or Zoom meetings with an AI avatar? Personally, I think tech execs might be overestimating our enthusiasm for this level of AI integration and underestimating the value of a real human on the other side of the experience. Take podcasts, for instance. They’re as simple as humans chatting with each other, yet they’re incredibly popular. Podcasts are basically today’s equivalent of gathering around the radio for a favorite program, something humans have done for over a century.
The day I started with Spotify’s AI DJ, I later found myself driving to pick up my kid, listening to DJ Riz hosting KEXP’s Drive Time. I tuned in just as he played “Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows” by Lesley Gore, a bright, vintage tune that set a nostalgic mood. He followed it up with “Love” from Mos Def’s Black on Both Sides, a track I wouldn’t have thought to listen to back-to-back with Lesley Gore. It was a surprising pairing that made me smile. The thoughtful, human touch of a DJ who can mix unexpected songs is the kind of experience no AI can truly deliver.
In a world buzzing with AI-everything, Spotify’s AI DJ is a fascinating experiment. But when it comes to curating and sharing music in a way that truly resonates, nothing beats a real DJ.
