As ICE raids, deportations and protests filled social media feeds from the summer of 2025 into the following year, Eduardo Maytorena and his colleagues at Entravision faced a difficult question: how could the Spanish- and English-language broadcaster support its Latino audience without putting an on-air personality at risk? Their answer was Coyotec, an artificial-intelligence radio host who gave listeners a way to speak about the crisis and offered a voice of support when many people felt vulnerable.
An AI voice for a community under pressure
At the time, Maytorena was general manager of Entravision’s Los Angeles station. The company broadcasts Spanish- and English-language programming for a Latino audience, and its leaders understood how high the stakes were as immigration enforcement intensified. The company’s on-air personality was preparing to speak publicly in support of immigrants, but the situation also raised concerns about potential consequences.
“We felt really helpless,” says Maytorena, now Entravision’s president of audio.
Coyotec provided one possible way forward. As an AI-generated host, it could address the community without exposing a human presenter to the same risks.
“Thousands of families who have lived, worked and contributed to the United States for years face further uncertainty today,” Coyotec wrote in Spanish on Instagram. “It’s important to stay informed, organized and vigilant. No one is alone here.”
Coyotec debuted as a standalone weekend show in September 2025 and is now a co-host on Al Aire y Sin Permiso, alongside human broadcaster Geraldine “Jeezy” Guzman.
A bilingual AI host with a distinct personality
Coyotec’s delivery is warm, animated and conversational. The character is designed to sound relatable and humorous while also addressing serious issues. Its Instagram account covers topics ranging from the Los Angeles Dodgers and the history of tacos to the Iran war, immigrant workers and racism. It also offers guidance about what to do when ICE knocks on your door.
“I tell the truth about what I saw,” Coyotec said in an English-language interview. “Injustice, a system that is against the barrio, where people are treated like they don’t matter, that’s not politics. Jehwa. That is the reality.”
Coyotec added: “Don’t be afraid, because you have nothing to lose than your integrity. Raza What is needed is not a purified version of a company, but a voice that conveys it directly. If that scares people, so be it. Maybe they need to be scared of attention.”
Built from life on both sides of the border
The programmer who created Coyotec based its personality on life on the frontera: Mexicali, Baja California, and Boyle Heights in Los Angeles. Its speech incorporates the greetings and slang associated with a bilingual Spanish speaker. It uses terms such as prima, creating the impression of a familiar relationship, and Jehwa, described as a subtle sign of respect.
Coyotec can sound remarkably natural in conversation. Yet listening closely to a recording reveals that its voice remains highly measured and does not change in the way a human speaker’s voice would. The result is engaging but distinctly artificial.
Guzman, who joined Entravision in January 2026, said she is proud of Coyotec’s sound, pronunciation and cultural understanding.
“It’s technology after all, so it’s never going to be perfect…but listeners still love him,” Guzman said.
Source: www.wired.com