We Asked AI To Turn Our Newsletter Into A Podcast

Using a tool called Google NotebookLM, we turned last month’s Collier Newsletter into a podcast. 

We didn’t know exactly what to expect. We thought we’d get a reading of the newsletter from top to bottom. We definitely didn’t expect a 16-minute discussion between two “hosts” providing meaningful background on the Collier Prize program and history, and why it’s important to democracy.

The podcast is interesting and surprising, though not flawless. 

We also asked Notebook to convert the podcast into a slide deck. The process took about 10 minutes. As you can see, it looks pretty good, but it’s not without mistakes. For one, the photo isn’t Collier Prize Director Rick Hirsch, who wishes he looked that young.  

It’s a $25,000 first prize, not a “mandate.” Where did that language come from? 

The image it used in the Collier Prize Symposium wrap up isn’t from our Collier Prize Symposium — it’s from another event with the Collier name, we know not where. 

But the process did provide a deck that could be repaired after careful review and editing. 

Take look and please share your thoughts at collierprize@jou.ufl.edu. 

Read the source material in our January 2026 Collier Newsletter.

Category: Collier Prize News
Tagged: Collier Prize for State Government Accountability News Rick Hirsch
Subscribe to our News Digest