When AI Voices Take the Stage: Reflections on PDC TV’s Darts Experiment and What It Means for Content Automation
Last week, Dutch news outlet NU.nl published an article by journalist Rutger Otto on PDC TV’s use of AI-generated commentary during the World Matchplay darts tournament. While the voices used were designed to sound human, they still unmistakably came from a machine. The experiment sparks debate about authenticity, emotion, and the role of AI in live sports broadcasting.
We were proud to see our CTO, Sebastian Plasschaert, quoted in the article. As Sebastian noted, even the most realistic AI-generated voices can still be detected by trained ears—and that matters. “Whether something is real or fake gives viewers a different feeling,” he said. “You should always be transparent about it.”
Beyond Commentary: Creating New Content Formats with AI
At XS2Content, we see this not just as an interesting use case—but as a glimpse into a much larger shift. With our XS2C platform, content creators, broadcasters, and publishers can build automated AI pipelines that convert existing content into new formats—text to audio, video to blog, blog to social snippets, and more—powered by over 300 best-in-class AI services.
What PDC TV did with commentary can easily be extended into broader content repurposing strategies. Want to turn English sports commentary into localized highlight reels, complete with native-sounding voiceovers, contextual analysis, and subtitled summaries? That’s exactly the kind of experiment our platform makes possible.
Rapid Experimentation, Responsible Deployment
Sebastian’s point in the article reflects our philosophy: automation should enhance human creativity, not blindly replace it. Our clients—from cities to major corporations—use XS2C to test and refine new formats responsibly, with transparency and user experience in mind.
This darts experiment highlights both the power and limits of AI today. The question isn’t whether AI can replicate a voice. It can. The real question is: when, where, and how do we deploy it in a way that adds value?
If you’re looking to experiment with AI-generated content—whether in broadcasting, publishing, education, or public service—get in touch. We’ll help you turn bold ideas into scalable, ethical workflows.
Curious how XS2C can help you launch your own AI-powered content experiments? Let’s talk.
