Behind the Story

From Black church editor Haleluya Hadero: A few months ago, I was soliciting ideas for an evangelical-oriented business story that could be featured in CT’s March-April print magazine. Most of what I heard wasn’t interesting or timely. But then, one of my friends told me about Jason Johnson, a former audiobook narrator who lost his business as generative artificial intelligence became more ubiquitous.

I have reported on AI many times. But I had never written about it in the context of the audiobook industry, so I was interested in hearing Johnson’s story. When I called him in December, he told me he launched his audiobook business during the COVID-19 pandemic and earned decent income until AI ultimately pushed him out of the industry in 2024.

In order to write a story about AI audiobooks, however, I knew I needed to listen to some. I found a few on Audible and spent one evening listening to narrations. The audiobooks sounded more human than I expected, but as I note in my article, AI voices can also sound monotone. I found it unsettling to listen to a machine mimicking a person—a reaction researchers call the uncanny valley effect. It makes me believe AI voices will lead to more job losses, but humans will still want to hear other humans, so narrators won’t be totally extinct.

Florida’s Department of Education created a hotline for people to complain if prayer and religious expression aren’t being allowed in public schools.
Joseph Duggar was charged with molesting a child. CT previously covered his brother Josh Duggar’s conviction in a child sex abuse materials case.
The Scottish Parliament rejected a bill to legalize assisted suicide.
A look inside Houston rodeo’s cowboy church, where hats, oversize belt buckles, and bull-rider metaphors abound.

Today in Christian History

March 23, 1540: Waltham Abbey in Essex becomes the last monastery in England to transfer its allegiance from the Catholic Church to the newly established Church of England.