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Artificial intelligence (AI) is a focal point at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) 2024, with industry professionals eager to explore its practical applications in media and entertainment.
As the technology matures, discussions are shifting from potential use cases to real-world implementations that deliver tangible benefits across the broadcast ecosystem. With AI spend in media projected to reach $13 billion by 2028, according to Omdia, the industry is seeking clarity on how to harness AI’s potential most effectively.
IBC 2024, taking place September 13-16 in Amsterdam, aims to address this need by showcasing an array of hands-on demonstrations and use-case driven discussions, reflecting the media and entertainment sector’s demand for grounded conversation on AI’s current and future impact.
From hype to reality
The buzz around AI at trade shows has been building, but 2024 marks a turning point. Industry professionals are eager to move beyond hypothetical use cases and see tangible results.
Benjamin Shirley, product manager at MainConcept, notes the industry’s eagerness to see AI’s progress since last year’s event.
“AI and generative AI will no doubt be hot topics at the show again this year; it’ll be interesting to see what progress has been made since IBC 2023 in terms of real-life uses and actual applications,” Shirley said. “Have we moved past AI being used for service support chatbots?”
Lelde Ardava, sales and account manager at Veset, echoes this sentiment, observing a growing desire for concrete solutions.
“I think the whole industry is eager to move past those early conversations about the potential of AI and see actual real-life solutions using AI and generative AI that really make a difference,” Ardava said.
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“We imagine that AI will be the hottest topic at IBC 2024, particularly with the AI Tech Zone officially announced,” said James Cranfield, VP global sales and partnerships at Cinedeck. He added that Cinedeck is actively integrating AI into its solution workflows, a trend he expects to see reflected across the industry.
The transition from theory to practice is not just a matter of curiosity but a business imperative. As media companies face pressure to deliver more content across multiple platforms while controlling costs, AI offers a potential solution to enhance efficiency and productivity.
“Broadcasters continue to face immense pressure to deliver content quickly, reliably and across multiple platforms, with security and standards compliance becoming ever more critical,” said James Gilbert, VP sales & marketing at Rohde & Schwarz. “We can add the ongoing cloud debate (private and public versus on-prem or hybrid) and how best to make use of AI / machine learning technology into the mix, but the conversation generally ends up around how to do more (revenue, content, innovation) with less (cost, people, pain).”
Practical applications across the media supply chain
As AI technology evolves, its applications in media and entertainment are becoming more diverse and sophisticated.
“Areas like multimodal video curation, localization, content personalization, Q/C, VFX and post-production are showing particularly promising applications of AI,” said Jose Puga, CEO and cofounder of Imaginario AI, on the areas where AI is showing promise for broadcast workflows.
These applications span the entire content lifecycle, from creation to distribution and audience engagement. In content creation, AI tools enhance creative processes by assisting with scriptwriting, storyboarding and even generating realistic visual effects. In post-production, AI algorithms streamline editing workflows, automate color correction and improve audio quality.
“A current favorite among trends is AI /ML and how today’s technologists are applying it for various tasks such as automatic editorial detection, speech-to-text for caption creation, audio and video quality control as well as the regionalization of scripts,” said Hannah Barnhardt, COO and co-founder of TMT Insights.
These applications represent just the tip of the iceberg. As AI technology continues to evolve, its potential uses in broadcasting are expanding rapidly.
“The ability to virtually operate a fully automated XR mixed reality studio gallery from anywhere in the world is both new and exciting, offering an immersive experience that seamlessly integrates XR into live production,” said Adam Leah, creative director at nxtedition. “Additionally, the integration of advanced AI capabilities, like natural language content search and voice-to-text transcription, is sure to capture attention by showcasing how AI can enhance operational efficiency and storytelling in unprecedented ways.”
From hype to implementation
These AI-powered tools are particularly valuable in news production environments, where speed and accuracy are paramount. Automated transcription and content search capabilities enable journalists and producers to quickly sift through large volumes of footage and identify relevant clips, significantly reducing production time.
Aaron Kroger, product marketing lead at Dalet, notes that while some AI applications may seem commonplace, large-scale enterprise implementations are still evolving.
“As it has been for many years, the trend of AI will be the talk of the show, but this year it will be different. The discussion will not be as focused around its future potential capabilities but more on its practical capabilities today,” Kroger said. “While things like speech-to-text and metadata tagging seem almost commoditized today, the reality is that large-scale enterprise installations are not as common as they would seem. We are now finally seeing these workflows being implemented at scale and that will be more of the discussion vs the long-term discussion of humans vs computers.”
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This shift towards implementation brings with it new challenges and considerations for broadcasters. As they move from pilot projects to full-scale deployments, issues of integration, scalability and return on investment come to the fore.
Balancing innovation and practicality
As AI technology evolves rapidly, media companies face challenges in effectively adopting these tools. The fast pace of development in AI raises concerns about investing in solutions that may quickly become obsolete.
“Media enterprises should engage with AI vendors in a safe and strategic manner without missing this new wave of innovation. Identify investment areas that won’t become outdated in six months due to the fast pace of AI development,” said Puga.
This approach requires a delicate balance between embracing cutting-edge technologies and ensuring long-term viability. Broadcasters and media companies must carefully evaluate AI solutions for their current capabilities and potential to evolve and integrate with future technologies.
“Media companies that can quickly experiment with AI use cases, form strategic partnerships, or acquire relevant companies in this space, while maximizing their IP will have a significant advantage,” Puga said. “It’s not AI that will replace media enterprises and creative professionals, but rather the companies that fully embrace AI in the coming months and years that will lead the way.”
Kroger emphasizes the importance of flexible, adaptable solutions in the rapidly changing media landscape:
“The most successful solutions today will be ones that are flexible and adaptable to the endless number of workflows that exist across the ever-widening media industry,” Kroger said. “Flexibility means an architecture that allows solutions to work today and in the future. This includes taking advantage of a cloud-native design but still being able to utilize on-prem and hybrid solutions as well.”
Efficiency and cost-effectiveness
One of the key drivers behind AI adoption in the broadcast industry is the potential for increased efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Kroger highlights this trend: “Efficiency is the name of the game and what everyone across all departments strives for. Efficiency means different things to different people but ultimately is still achieved using the same principles and technology.”
AI-powered automation can significantly reduce manual labor in content tagging, quality control and compliance-checking tasks. This speeds up workflows and allows human resources to be redirected towards more creative and strategic tasks.
“We can add the ongoing cloud debate (private and public versus on-prem or hybrid) and how best to make use of AI / machine learning technology into the mix, but the conversation generally ends up around how to do more (revenue, content, innovation) with less (cost, people, pain),” said Gilbert.
This focus on doing more with less is particularly relevant in the current economic climate, where broadcasters are pressured to optimize their operations while maintaining high-quality output. AI solutions that can demonstrate clear return on investment and tangible efficiency gains are likely to garner significant attention at IBC 2024.
Looking ahead
As AI technology continues to evolve, its impact on the media and entertainment industry is expected to grow.
“Media companies that can quickly experiment with AI use cases, form strategic partnerships, or acquire relevant companies in this space, while maximizing their IP will have a significant advantage,” said Puga. “In the next 10 years a new wave of AI filmmakers and creators will drive the industry into a new golden era of content creation.”
This vision of AI-augmented creativity raises intriguing questions about the future of content production and the role of human creators in an increasingly automated landscape. It also points to the potential for AI to democratize content creation, enabling smaller production companies and individual creators to produce high-quality content at scale.
As the broadcast industry gathers in Amsterdam, IBC 2024 is poised to showcase the tangible impact of AI on media workflows.
IBC 2024 spotlights AI innovation
IBC will strongly emphasize artificial intelligence, showcasing real-world AI applications for the global media industry.
Mike Crimp, IBC CEO, noted the event’s focus: “IBC2024 will showcase an array of hands-on demos and use-case driven discussions — reflecting M&E’s demand for grounded conversation on how AI is impacting our sector today and in the long term.”
Key AI-focused features at IBC 2024 include:
- AI Tech Zone: Powered by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), this new area will bring together AI providers, producers and innovators. Hans Hoffman of the EBU notes, “Visitors to the AI Tech Zone will witness firsthand how AI is shaping a smarter, more efficient media world.”
- Conference Sessions: AI will be a primary theme throughout the IBC Conference, featuring keynotes from industry visionaries and AI in Action case studies.
- Exhibition Highlights: Numerous companies will debut new AI-powered products and technologies across various aspects of broadcast and media production.
- AI Media Production Lab: Part of the IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme, this initiative will explore AI concepts for improving storytelling, audience engagement, and predictive analytics in live sports viewing.
Maria Rua Aguete of Omdia underscores AI’s growing industry impact: “AI spend in media is set to reach $13 billion by 2028. It is influencing every element of the content value chain.”
As IBC 2024 approaches, the event’s comprehensive AI focus reflects the technology’s increasing importance in media and entertainment, promising attendees practical insights and engagement with the latest innovations shaping the future of broadcasting and content creation.
From AI-driven content recommendation engines to advanced analytics tools that provide deep insights into audience behavior, the applications of AI in broadcasting are vast and varied. As the technology continues to mature, IBC 2024 is set to showcase the latest innovations that are shaping the future of media production, distribution, and consumption.
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