This experiment builds on the previous experiment, where I was curious about whether AI can generate a podcast based on source content that I wrote as part of my PhD thesis. However it takes the experiment a stage further to explore whether AI can create the source content for a podcast to be generated by AI, and if it can, how good is it.
Hypothesis:
AI can be used to create source content for a podcast which is as engaging, interesting and informative as a podcast generated from source content written by a human.
Process:
Using ChatGPT, I used the following prompt “How can I understand my own worldview?”
I chose this prompt based on the previous experiment, where the podcast generated by NotebookLM focused on how a listener could use or understand their own worldview.
I then copied and posted the text ChatGPT generated into Google’s NotebookLM, and clicked “Generate Audio”. As in the previous experiment, it generated a deepdive style podcast, with two presenters. However stylewise, it was almost as if the presenters had run an audience poll and were reflecting on the answers.
Outputs:
Here is the audio that NotebookLM created:
Here is the source material from ChatGPT:
- Understanding your own worldview involves reflecting on the beliefs, values, and experiences that shape how you perceive and interpret the world. It’s like examining the lens through which you see everything—from personal experiences to global events. Here’s a structured approach to help you explore and understand your worldview:
- 1. Reflect on Core Beliefs
- Identify Beliefs about Reality: Consider what you believe about the nature of the universe, life, and existence. Ask yourself:
- Do you believe that life has a specific purpose or is it more random?
- Is there a spiritual or supernatural aspect to the universe, or do you lean more toward a naturalistic view?
- Explore Beliefs about Human Nature: Think about what you believe about people in general:
- Are humans inherently good, bad, or a mix?
- What motivates human behavior—free will, external factors, or a combination?
- Identify Beliefs about Reality: Consider what you believe about the nature of the universe, life, and existence. Ask yourself:
- 2. Examine Your Values
- Identify What’s Most Important to You: Reflect on the values that guide your decisions and interactions:
- Do you value individual freedom, community well-being, or balance between the two?
- How important are honesty, kindness, ambition, or tradition to you?
- Consider Cultural and Societal Influences: Think about how the culture you grew up in has influenced your values:
- What role do family, religion, and society play in shaping your sense of right and wrong?
- Are there cultural norms that you accept or reject?
- Identify What’s Most Important to You: Reflect on the values that guide your decisions and interactions:
- 3. Analyze Influences from Experience and Education
- Personal Experiences: Reflect on the experiences that have shaped your outlook:
- What significant life events have impacted your beliefs (e.g., hardships, triumphs, travels)?
- How have your relationships—family, friends, mentors—shaped your perspective?
- Educational Influences: Think about how formal education or informal learning has shaped your worldview:
- Which subjects or ideas have had the most impact on your thinking?
- Has exposure to different perspectives (like philosophy, science, or history) changed or reinforced your views?
- Personal Experiences: Reflect on the experiences that have shaped your outlook:
- 4. Explore Your Perspective on Big Questions
- Meaning and Purpose: What do you think is the purpose of life or your personal mission?
- Morality and Ethics: How do you determine what is right or wrong? Are there universal principles, or is morality context-dependent?
- Society and Politics: What do you believe about how society should be organized? Do you lean towards individualism, collectivism, or another approach?
- 5. Recognize Cognitive Biases and Assumptions
- Identify Biases: All of us have biases that affect how we interpret information:
- Are there certain ideas or people you tend to favor or oppose without much thought?
- What assumptions do you make about other cultures, ideologies, or ways of life?
- Challenge Your Own Thinking: Actively look for information or perspectives that challenge your views:
- Have you changed your mind about something recently? What prompted the change?
- Engage with media or literature that presents viewpoints different from your own.
- Identify Biases: All of us have biases that affect how we interpret information:
- 6. Consider Your Emotional Responses
- Pay attention to how you emotionally react to events, people, and information:
- Do certain topics make you angry, excited, or anxious? Why might that be?
- What are your gut reactions to different world events or social issues?
- Pay attention to how you emotionally react to events, people, and information:
- 7. Think About Your Spiritual or Philosophical Leanings
- Whether or not you identify with a formal religion or philosophy, you likely have a way of understanding deeper questions:
- What do you believe about the possibility of a higher power or spiritual dimension?
- How do you make sense of suffering and joy in life?
- Whether or not you identify with a formal religion or philosophy, you likely have a way of understanding deeper questions:
- 8. Articulate Your Worldview
- Write a Personal Statement: Try summarizing your worldview in a few paragraphs:
- What do you believe is the purpose of life?
- What values guide you?
- How do you see the world’s challenges and your role in them?
- Write a Personal Statement: Try summarizing your worldview in a few paragraphs:
- Use Frameworks: Tools like the “worldview questionnaire” or “ethical inventories” can help organize your thoughts.
- 1. Reflect on Core Beliefs
- Understanding your worldview is a process, not a one-time realization. It evolves as you gain new experiences, learn more, and encounter different perspectives. It’s an ongoing journey of self-reflection and growth.
Was It Useful / What Did I Learn?
I found this a useful process. Not only did it answer the question – yes ChatGPT can create really good source content that can be used to generate an interesting and informative podcast. If I hadn’t already done a lot of exploration in this area, I’d find it an interesting podcast. However, it felt like something was missing – almost the “so what” or how can I use this to improve an aspect of my life. This could be down to the prompt I used. However, in terms of learning, it made me think about what was unique about what I was trying to say in my own approach to talking about worldviews, and how I could bring that out to a greater degree.
Micro-experimentation 
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