Daniel Thomas

Broadcaster & Founder of Free FM.
Former Brisbane & Ipswich radio personality. Australia
Building human-led radio in 2026. 🎙️🎧

[Daniel Thomas @DanielThomas973]

🎵 Australian artists deserve better than becoming training data without their knowledge or consent. 🎶

As many of you know, I use AI for some things, and can be a very useful tool.

I use it to help generate ideas, some images from time to time, brainstorm concepts, refine wording, and occasionally save me from staring at a blank screen for an hour.

But there is a line... And I believe IT HAS BEEN CROSSED!

As someone who has spent the past few months (and years) building relationships with Australian artists, interviewing them, playing their music, and now trying to give them a platform through Free FM, this story concerns me.

If artists, songwriters and creators have had their work used to train AI systems without permission, acknowledgement or compensation, then that's a conversation we need to be having.

Technology should support creativity, NOT exploit it.

The reason a song connects with us isn't because it was perfectly generated by an algorithm.

It's because somebody lived it.

Somebody felt it.

Somebody sat down with a guitar, a piano, a notebook, or a voice recorder and turned a moment in their life into something the rest of us could connect with.

That's what I want Free FM to continue supporting.

Real artists.
Real stories.
Real music.

Don't get me wrong... AI has a place.

But so do the people who create the music that inspires us, challenges us, comforts us, and becomes the soundtrack to our lives.

I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of musicians, songwriters, artists, broadcasters and listeners on this one.

📸 Credit: Aria Cook Music - Free FM Launch, 30 April 2026

📰 The Music article: https://t.co/5dPEIg3sUU

[Daniel Thomas @DanielThomas973]

@papapelto @PeterDiamandis @elonmusk @FreeFMau Oh I know that 😉

[Daniel Thomas @DanielThomas973]

Video didn’t kill the radio star @elonmusk. Some of us just forgot we had a voice.

There are some in radioland, both on and off the air here in #Australia, that would disagree! And I am one of them.

I would be happy to challenge both yours and @PeterDiamandis statements… even some of the information in your post has been debunked Dr. Diamandis… while I agree with part of what you posted… there is one thing video cannot do, that radio can…

If people are in the car, busy doing things that take them away from a screen… radio can instantly engage human beings better than AI and video combined. AND they can interact with radio if they choose to.

I wouldn’t be starting my own online radio station @FreeFMau if I didn’t believe that!

My career spans more than 3 decades in Television & Video Production, as well as various roles in Radio including Regional and Metropolitan Broadcasting. On top of that, my father’s career spans more than 6 decades in Television Broadcast & Video Production both locally and internationally.

A degree doesn’t mean you’re smart either. I think I’m doing ok considering I left school at 15.

Some of the things I have learned from my mentors is that creativity, business sustainability and innovation are just some of the ingredients.

AI might be able to replicate parts… video is a great medium… but it’s not the ‘best’.

People have forgotten that radio can spark imagination, and be a part of it at the same time!

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

Video Killed the Radio Star

[Daniel Thomas @DanielThomas973]

Do you remember when you joined X? I do! #MyXAnniversary

Well I don’t really… @X reminded me though 😉

[Daniel Thomas @DanielThomas973]

@PeterDiamandis @elonmusk I wouldn’t be starting my own online radio station @FreeFMau if I didn’t believe that!

Video didn’t kill the radio star… it just helped put a face to a name and personality!

[Daniel Thomas @DanielThomas973]

@PeterDiamandis @elonmusk If people are in the car, busy doing things that take them away from a screen… radio can instantly engage human beings better than AI and video combined. AND they can interact with radio if they choose to. (part 3 coming in next comment)

[Daniel Thomas @DanielThomas973]

Enough is enough, if Police can’t investigate properly, there needs to be reform. And it needs to happen NOW! Thread pt7

[Daniel Thomas @DanielThomas973]

Today’s front page of the @couriermail.

I hope Shane Prior from the Queensland Police Union and QLD Police and Emergency Services Minister @DanPurdieMP ensure a balanced view with these proposed changes. Thread pt1

[Daniel Thomas @DanielThomas973]

While the statistics are higher in DV related cases (I am not disputing that), there are also instances where someone is served an order or Police Protection Notice, and the other person is just doing it to ‘get back’ at the other party. Thread pt6

[Daniel Thomas @DanielThomas973]

I am appalled and disgusted with the department and agency that produced the campaign launched in August 2024, both personally and professionally. Thread pt5

[Daniel Thomas @DanielThomas973]

It does occur in the reverse, and is often brushed off, and in some cases, never reported to the authorities. I have already spoken with my local MP, Ms Wendy Bourne (Member for Ipswich West) just last week about it. Thread pt4

[Daniel Thomas @DanielThomas973]

The Queensland State, and Federal Government need to do better. Last years’s QLD campaign on ‘Coersive Control’ or ‘Healthy Relationships’ was/is a very biased view with Men only depicted as the instigators. Thread pt3

[Daniel Thomas @DanielThomas973]

Because while the statistics say that DV matters are against women, it does occur in the reverse, and the investigations seem to be only from one side of the fence. Thread pt2

[Daniel Thomas @DanielThomas973]

Merry Christmas 🎄🎅🤶

[Daniel Thomas @DanielThomas973]

Hi @auspost while I appreciate your #Mail2Day email notifications and you believe I am a ‘valued customer’, don’t you think it would be more personal to change your scripting to include the person’s actual name? #justasuggestion 😊

[Daniel Thomas @DanielThomas973]

@AshleighMacVO @vince05656201 @ABCaustralia (2/2)
And across hospitals in QLD for 22/23 budget:
- $1.537 billion investment (in 2022-23) in health infrastructure across the state.
- $229.7 million funding over two years allocated for the Accelerated Infrastructure Delivery Program
Source: https://t.co/j4it6F7A6V

[Daniel Thomas @DanielThomas973]

@AshleighMacVO @vince05656201 @ABCaustralia (1/2) while I know we haven’t seen the budget forecasts for the next 5 years, let’s put it into perspective. For 1 venue:
The Queensland Government will fund the $2.7 billion redevelopment of the Gabba.
Source: https://t.co/Blo9pQaX5n