Evolution equals survival
Byrne said the show’s 13-year run (and counting) is a product of its adaptability. “It’s not a mistake that Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know started out as a video podcast before we were even using the word podcast, [then] evolved into an audio podcast, had a honeymoon as a YouTube channel, and is now a major video podcast on Netflix,” he said. “That willingness to evolve is a really important metric for digital creators.”
Humans want human content
Recent iHeart research has shown that while 60% of people routinely use AI tools, over 90% of listeners have made clear that they don’t want content created by AI. “You would think that AI would take over everything,” Byrne said.
Just a few years ago, his own team was wondering if they should “hang it up” and make way for the machines. But “that’s not the case,” he said. Audiences have made clear they “definitely still need human beings having a messy, organic, human conversation.”
