The Know Daily - Tuesday 26 May 2026

_{Read in 4m 05s ∙ Listening to Harper Grace ∙}

Imagine heading to the shops and stumbling across a life-size Van Gogh or Monet on the high street. Well, thanks to The National Gallery, famous artworks are popping up in town centres across the UK as part of its “Art on Your Doorstep” project to bring a bit more culture and beauty into everyday life. We love 💖

🎧 What is “podslop”?

Over a third of podcasts are now AI-generated, according to new data from Podcast Index, raising questions about spotting authentic and reliable content online.

Tell me more.
“Podslop” is the nickname people have started using for low-quality, mass-produced AI podcasts – think bot-written scripts and synthetic voices. Trend data suggests this is growing fast, with almost 40% of newly uploaded podcasts now appearing to be AI-generated. In some cases, entire podcast networks are being produced automatically, with thousands of episodes created cheaply every week.

Why is AI podcasting growing so quickly?
Mostly because it’s easy. Tools can turn articles, notes or prompts into realistic conversations within minutes, and major tech companies are quickly embracing the format. A recent report from Variety highlighted how Amazon’s Alexa+ is already experimenting with AI-generated “hosts” discussing news, hobbies and trending topics on demand. For creators, the appeal is obvious: traditional podcasts can take hours to plan, record and edit, while AI dramatically cuts that workload.

What are the issues?
There are concerns around misinformation and spam, as AI podcasts can sound convincing even when facts are inaccurate. And because they’re so cheap to produce at scale, some creators may prioritise quantity over quality. Another major issue is discoverability. Podcasting has always relied heavily on search, recommendations and rankings, so if thousands of AI-generated shows flood platforms every day, smaller human creators may struggle to get noticed. Like most AI debates, the technology itself isn’t necessarily the problem – it’s how people choose to use it.

Haven’t we seen this with music too?
Yes, streaming platforms are dealing with a huge wave of AI-generated music uploads. Music service Deezer recently revealed that around 44% of all new tracks uploaded to the platform are now AI-generated, equal to roughly 75,000 songs every day. The company also found that 97% of listeners in a survey couldn’t reliably tell the difference between AI-made and human-made music. That matters because it highlights a much wider trend online of AI content becoming harder to identify. 

How can I know if a podcast is AI?
There’s no perfect way to identify AI podcasts yet, but there are a few clues to look out for, including unusually generic titles, overly polished or robotic-sounding voices, awkward or repetitive conversations, and huge numbers of episodes uploaded in a short space of time. Podcasts with little information about real hosts, guests or production teams can also be a sign. So, as AI-generated content continues to grow, following independent podcasts, leaving reviews and supporting creators directly may become increasingly important for listeners who want to back human-made content.

Editor Annabel here with a rec! If you're after a weekly podcast that dishes up the news in a digestible (and dare I say it…fun?!) way, check out The News Diet by yours truly 💁‍♀️ Creating weekly episodes with my co-host, journalist Nicole Cherruault, takes a lot of work – especially now we've got to keep up with other things podcasters and robots 😅 – but knowing we’re creating a real, human news offering for our generation makes it all worth it!

🌍 A €9 billion “Climate Social Plan” has been unveiled by Spain to help households and businesses transition towards cleaner energy.

• The bigger story: The funding is designed to support people most affected by the shift away from fossil fuels, with investment expected in areas like home energy efficiency, public transport and cleaner heating systems. The plan forms part of Europe’s wider push to meet climate targets while trying to avoid the costs of the transition falling most heavily on lower-income households. Governments across the EU are increasingly focusing on cutting emissions, while also making the transition to greener energy more affordable and politically sustainable for consumers.

🥂 A national toast took place last night to remember the people who shaped our lives, with stars like Prue Leith and Mo Farah sharing their personal tributes. 

🧀 The results are in for the 2026 cheese rolling competition – with competitors from around the world chasing a 3kg wheel of Double Gloucester cheese down a hill.

👩‍🔬 A new vaccine that could be ready for clinical trials within three months to help tackle the Ebola outbreak is being developed by scientists at the University of Oxford.

🧑‍🍼 The hidden costs parents may be charged when using government-funded childcare are to be investigated by a watchdog. 

🔥 The UK’s all-time temperature record for May was beaten this bank holiday weekend, with some areas reaching highs of 35C! 

🔗 Last week’s most clicked: Day trips starting at £48 in three iconic cities, the most streamed music of all (Spotify’s) time & 10 simple gestures that go a long way at work.

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Trivia answer: A) This artifact is set to go on display at the official Scottish residence of King Charles III for the first time.

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