#0 ~ Introducing Bots & Brains - The Intelligent Marketing Podcast from Social Matrix

Nicolette Ford

Hello and welcome to Bots and Brains, the intelligent marketing podcast where tech meets strategy, and nobody has to fake being perky at 8 a.m. Lorraine, can you believe it? Our voices, but not quite our voices? Weird!

Lorraine Windsor

I know. It’s a bit surreal, isn't it? I mean, I never thought I’d hear my South East London accent coming out of a computer, but here we are. And, honestly, I’m chuffed about it. Today, we’re answering the question we knew was coming the minute we launched this podcast with AI voices:“Why the hell didn’t you just record it yourselves?”

Nicolette Ford

Fair question. And the short answer is: we did. The voices you’re hearing on most episodes? AI-generated. But the content? 100% us. Human-written, hand-crafted, brain-powered. In other words, we recorded our actual voices and AI now uses our cloned voices to deliver the content we've written.

Lorraine Windsor

We write it. We research it. We tweak every line. What we don’t do is spend three hours re-recording because one of us hiccuped halfway through.

Nicolette Ford

Or coughed, or had a cat walking across the mic. Honestly, AI narration gives us clean, consistent delivery—and it means we can actually keep up with regular episodes.

Lorraine Windsor

So, Nik, do you remember how this all started? I feel like it was one of those “what if” conversations that just spiralled.

Nicolette Ford

Yeah, it really was. I think we're both fascinated by how technology is changing the world. We had a really good chat about it before we went ahead with it. Just about how we could marry using AI-generated voices, with our core values in business; being human and authentic. However, by using AI, we’re not faking emotion, we’re not using AI to create content, and we’re not pretending the voices are us. We’re just saying, “Hey, here’s something we wrote. If you prefer not to read, have a listen instead.”

Lorraine Windsor

And for me, it’s always been about helping small businesses get their message out there. I started out training people in digital skills, and I just loved seeing that lightbulb moment when someone realised they could do this stuff themselves. But, you know, I never thought I’d be cloning my own voice to help tell these stories. That’s a new one.

Nicolette Ford

Yes, when I first tested my own voice clone, I was honestly a bit freaked out. I mean, it sounded like me, but also... not quite? There was this moment of amazement, like, “Wow, that’s my voice!” But then also a bit of unease. I kept thinking, “Is this still me? Or is it just a really clever echo?” It’s a strange feeling, hearing yourself but knowing it’s not quite you. There's a massive philosophical discussion in there somewhere.

Lorraine Windsor

Yeah, I get that. It’s like hearing yourself on an old answering machine, but times a hundred. But I think that’s what makes this whole project so interesting. We’re not just playing with tech for the sake of it—we’re asking, what does it mean to be real, to be human, when you can clone your own voice? There's definitely a whole episode in there!

Lorraine Windsor

So, let’s get into the big question—why use AI to tell human stories? I mean, some people have asked us, “Isn’t this a bit inauthentic?” And I get it. But for us, it’s about pushing the boundaries, seeing what’s possible, and still keeping it real. We write every word ourselves. We write the blog posts that go with it, the outline for the podcast and the actual script for the cloned voices. Nothing is AI generated, except our voices. The tech just helps us get it out there, polished and on time—even if we’re still in our pyjamas. It’s not about replacing human voices. It’s about freeing ours up for other things—like client work, strategy, or… lunch!

Nicolette Ford

Exactly. And, we’ve had people ask, “Does using an AI voice change the meaning or the emotion behind what you’re saying?” I think that’s a fair question. For me, the intent and the message are still ours. The AI is just the delivery vehicle. It’s like, um, reading a letter out loud—whether it’s you or someone else reading it, the words are still yours. But I do wonder sometimes if something subtle gets lost, or maybe even added, in the process.

Lorraine Windsor

Yeah, and I had this mate—she runs a little shop down the road—she listened to one of our test episodes and said, “Lorraine, it’s weird, but I actually felt like you were talking to me. Like, properly.” She said it was surprising, but also kind of comforting. So, maybe there’s something about the familiarity of the voice, even if it’s a bit robotic, that still connects with people. I dunno, maybe I’m overthinking it.

Nicolette Ford

No, I think that's right. There’s this idea that technology can help us scale our message without losing the personal touch—if we’re careful. We’re not pretending the AI is us, we’re just using it as a tool. And honestly, it saves us so much time. No more wrestling with mics or re-recording because I said “um” too many times. Well, except for the “ums” the AI picks up from me anyway! There's enough of those.

Lorraine Windsor

And let’s be honest, it means we can focus on what we love—creating, brainstorming, sharing ideas, helping people, and their businesses. The tech just makes it easier to get our stories out there, consistently.

Lorraine Windsor

So, is this the future of podcasting? Maybe not the only future, but it’s definitely one version of it. And if it helps more people hear what we’ve got to say, I’m all for it.

Nicolette Ford

But, you know, there’s always that little worry—are we losing the human touch? Especially when you hear your own voice coming out of a machine. It’s a bit sci-fi, isn’t it? I sometimes wonder if people will still feel that connection, or if it’ll all start to feel a bit cold.

Lorraine Windsor

Yeah, I mean, look at how much tech has changed the way we connect already. Social media, SEO, all that stuff—it’s made it easier to reach more people, and then you get those moments, like when someone messages you to say your story helped them, and you realise, nah, there’s still a real person on the other end. There are many different ways to learn and take in information. People are different. Most of us have our preferred way to learn.

Lorraine Windsor

I know you prefer to read information, so you can take your time to absorb it. Also, I know you dislike videos because they're not fast enough. You always speed them up and make the speaker sound like a chipmunk.

Nicolette Ford

Absolutely, and you prefer video and dislike reading. Didn't you do your Masters on this? What are the different learning styles? Visual, audio and kinesthetic, I think? So, I'm more visual and kinesthetic, and you're more audio and kinesthetic. Is that right?

Lorraine Windsor

Yes, that's right. Visual learners often prefer to read, audio learners prefer to listen, so think audio books and videos, and kinesthetic learners prefer to learn by doing. I'd say your estimation of each of us is right, yes.

Nicolette Ford

And storytelling online is its own kind of art now. You have to find ways to be authentic, even when you’re using all these digital tools. I think that’s what keeps it human—the intent behind it, the care you put into the words, even if the delivery is a bit futuristic.

Lorraine Windsor

And let’s not forget, my South East London accent is now officially captured for posterity. I mean, what if my great niece and nephews hear this when they get older, and think, “Blimey, Aunty L sounds like a robot!” Seriously, it does make you think about digital identity—how much of us is really us, and how much is just data floating around in the ether?

Nicolette Ford

And that's where my philosophy Masters comes in! That’s such a good point. Maybe the trick is to keep asking those questions, to stay curious and a bit skeptical, even as we embrace the new tech. I think as long as we’re honest about what we’re doing, and why, we’ll keep that human spark alive.

Lorraine Windsor

Yeah, and if we can have a laugh while doing it—even better. So, thanks for joining us on this first introductory episode of our new podcast. We’re letting the bots do the talking—so we can keep bringing the brains.

Nicolette Ford

Yes, we’ll catch you next time—same voices, same questions, maybe a few more answers. Bye for now!

Lorraine Windsor

Thanks for listening to Bots and Brains. We’ve got loads more to talk about, so stick with us. Look out for the first episode, on market segmentation, which will be out on Thursday.