High Profile: Weekly Podcast on Key Figures in the News

Starting this week, a new episode of High Profile will be released every week. Each episode focuses on a person who is currently playing a significant role in the news – either in the spotlight or behind the scenes. This innovative podcast is produced by Airborne Network using specially developed AI technology. The podcast is hosted by Tom Jessen.

By working with AI agents, Airborne Network is able to produce a journalistic, narrative podcast in a relatively short amount of time. These agents were developed in collaboration with AI Opener and have been intensively trained over the past six months using detailed instructions, award-winning Airborne productions, and years of editorial experience. As a result, research, scriptwriting, and fact-checking can be carried out quickly, efficiently, and to a high journalistic standard. The outcome is an engaging script that provides depth and context to the news.

The Best of Two Worlds

“The podcast landscape currently falls into two broad categories,” says Creative Director Marvin Jacobs. “On the one hand, simply produced chat-based podcasts, and on the other, labor-intensive storytelling productions. With High Profile, we combine the best of both worlds: the speed of chatcasts with the depth of storytelling.”

In recent weeks, the production team created several pilot episodes, including one on Kaja Kallas in the context of the possible annexation of Greenland by the United States, and another on Stephen Miller, the ‘architect’ behind the hardline actions of U.S. immigration agency ICE. Today’s episode tells the story of Ayatollah Khamenei and the tensions within and around Iran.

The Human Element

Although AI plays a major role in High Profile, the human element remains essential to the production. This applies both to the final editorial oversight of the scripts and to the audio production itself: the script is narrated by Tom Jessen, and a sound engineer adds music and sound design to create a rich listening experience.

Tom Jessen: “There is no shortage of opinions. With High Profile, we focus on providing background and context to the news. By using AI, we can quickly process and structure large amounts of information, allowing me as a host to focus on interpretation and storytelling. That combination perfectly matches how I want to make podcasts.”

For each episode, a transparency note is also published on Substack, detailing the methodology and the use of sources.

About Airborne Network

Since 2018, Airborne Network has produced award-winning podcasts for clients such as Albert Heijn, ABN AMRO, the National Holocaust Museum, and the Rijksmuseum. Since last year, the company has also released its own titles, including Made in Europe and Het echte werk. More information: airbornenetwork.nl