'The Diary of a CEO' star Steven Bartlett is using AI to make new podcasts hosted by a virtual version of himself

Business Insider

7 days ago

Steven Bartlett is using AI to produce his "100 CEOs" podcast, cloning his voice to make a host.
His FlightStory Studio is trying to replicate its success with Bartlett to build out other pods.
The AI-made podcast had gotten mixed reviews, with some preferring Bartlett's traditional format.
"The Diary of a CEO" star Steven Bartlett isn't just talking about AI on his show — he's using the tech to make new podcasts hosted by a virtual version of himself.
His podcast production company, FlightStory Studio, has been experimenting with AI tools like Runway to make podcasts and recently used them to launch "100 CEOs with Steven Bartlett." The animated show gives prominent CEOs like Richard Branson and Elon Musk the narrative, documentary-style treatment.
Bartlett wrote the script, and then FlightStory Studio used AI for the rest. That included cloning his voice to make an AI host, creating the storyboard, and turning it into an animated video. In addition to Runway, FlightStory Studio used tech from AI firms ElevenLabs and Wondercraft. The show, which is available on platforms like YouTube and Apple Podcasts, is identified in the notes as AI-made.
"Once we saw the capability of Runway and others, we thought there was no reason we shouldn't disrupt ourselves," said Georgie Holt, who cofounded FlightStory Studio with Bartlett and fellow Acast alum Christiana Brenton. "Steven is still very involved in the scripting and the writing."
Holt and Brenton discussed FlightStory Studio's strategy and growth plans with Business Insider.
"He still passionately believes, as we do, in the human ability to tell stories," Holt said. "Everything else was done by AI. The next challenge is, how do you grow distribution? How do you market that podcast?"
The AI podcast has mixed reviews
"100 CEOs" has a long way to go to match the heights of "DOAC," where Bartlett gets millions of views for his long-running interviews with big names like Michelle Obama and Jimmy Fallon.
For example, the "100 CEOs" video about Apple founder Steve Jobs has about 25,000 views on YouTube.
The "100 CEOs" show is up front that it's made with AI, and many commenters on YouTube praised the show's storytelling and animation.
Not everyone is ready for AI-cloned voices, however. Some criticized the voice for not sounding human enough and said they preferred Bartlett's interview format.
"I'm a huge fan, but this just feels like an AI podcast with zero soul," one commenter said.
To FlightStory Studio, the results are encouraging enough to keep testing other AI-made formats, starting with ones that are suited to animation. It took a long time to get the show off the ground, but at the rate AI keeps improving, FlightStory Studio executives expect the show to get better and more human-sounding over time. They said they plan to test AI host-read ads later this year and compare their performance to human-read ads.
"All advertisers want is performance," Brenton said. "What typically takes two to four weeks production, if you can shrink that into a day, it actually enables significantly more opportunity for creators, publishers, and advertisers."
Bartlett has more permission to make an AI podcast than other hosts, given his association with technology, said Megan Lazovick, VP of Edison Research.
"It would be a controversial move for a lot of hosts and presenters, and hosts would have to be careful in the way they use AI, but I feel like it goes right along with his brand," she said.
FlightStory Studio has built a diversified revenue business
AI is just one way FlightStory Studio is trying to crack the code to turn creators into multifaceted businesses.
Bartlett launched "DOAC" in 2017 and, in 2023, teamed up with Holt and Brenton to launch FlightStory Studio to invest in creators' podcasts they think have potential to become big brands in their own right, with the intent of acquiring them outright.
"DOAC" still makes up most of the company's revenue, but it's branched out with other creators like Davina McCall, who speaks to the midlife experience, and relationships podcaster Paul Brunson. Today, FlightStory Studio owns and produces five podcasts and is building franchises around the hosts that include book deals, speaking engagements, investment opportunities, and products.
The studio derives half its revenue from direct advertising through things like podcast sponsorships and branded content. The next biggest revenue source is platforms where it gets a split of advertising, like YouTube. Other revenue comes from a Penguin Random House book deal; subscriptions to DOAC, which offers perks like access to early and exclusive content; a speakers bureau representing its hosts and guests; and sales of products tied to FlightStory's shows, like DOAC-branded conversation-starter cards.
The execs didn't break out revenue for FlightStory Studio, but said it expects its revenue to grow 57% this year. FlightStory Studio's parent company, called FlightStory, includes an investment arm. The revenue for the whole company, which is profitable, was $20 million in 2024.
For its next shows, FlightStory Studio sees potential in exploring the future of sports and fandom. It also sees a big opportunity in subscriptions and consumer products, taking inspiration from the success of MrBeast with his Feastable chocolate bars. The studio said next year it plans to launch its first joint venture. The execs wouldn't share details, but compared the effort to products other podcast hosts have launched, like Alex Cooper with her Unwell-branded energy drink.
So far, FlightStory Studio has gone it alone, but Holt and Brenton said they're wide open to deals with the streamers.
"We're thinking Netflix, Apple TV, Channel 4, any of the major US streamers or traditional broadcasters," Brenton said. "Our objective is to enhance our distribution. If it makes sense to engage with one of those third parties to distribute our content, that's something we would pursue."