Credit: Andy Walker / Android AuthorityMany people are already AI-weary, including me. From producing bland content and replacing our jobs to water-hogging data centers and the existential doom risk, there’s a lot to hate about it. ‘AI slop’ has quickly entered our vocabulary, and for good reason. It’s high on that list of reasons to dislike the tech for many people, but we shouldn’t tar absolutely every bit of media churned out by AI tools with that brush. After my recent introduction to AI-generated podcasts created with NotebookLM, I’m ready to defend them — at least to a point.It was Google’s excellent app that opened my eyes, and unlike half of my colleagues, I’ve never even used it myself. Welcome to 2026, where my second-hand AI experiences count as research.