Just when I was thinking that innovation might be stagnating, along came IBC and a plethora of startups bringing new AI-inspired tools to the media tech market. Whether visiting the dedicated “Innovation Zones” in Hall 14 or simply walking around the other parts of the RAI, I was struck by how many vendors, both new and old, were offering new tools for working with media content. It was a welcome reminder that our industry is one of continual innovation, especially from the new entrants to the market.
On the other hand, I’m always amazed at how certain vendors tout innovation that’s actually just a copy of something that someone else has done before. I see it over and over again, and I’m surprised that our market doesn’t call out these vendors for their over-hyped “innovations”. I feel for end users who have to sort through all the copycat messaging to find the real innovation and the real solutions to their challenges. But I digress. Let’s return to the real innovation on the IBC show floor.
Whether for subbing, dubbing, captioning, or compliance, I was impressed by some of the new tools for automating these important tasks. It was clear that GenAI and machine learning tools will have a dramatic impact on these versioning workflows. The tools aren’t perfect just yet, but they are close, and getting closer every day. It won’t be long before we can have a machine replace audio with a different language, using a synthetic voice to replicate the original actor’s and keeping the original intonations. Oh, the rights issues! But I digress again.
Think about what that will mean for the content supply chain. How much faster will we be able to create multiple language versions of shows if we can have a GenAI tool generate many of the audio tracks for us? How many more languages can a producer support with these new tools? These questions aren’t meant to suggest that machines are about to replace human inputs. Rather, they ask how much more localization will be enabled if GenAI can perform work that today is not undertaken because the economics are just not there.
Looking beyond content localization, let’s talk about dealing with compliance requirements. As content owners seek to make their content available to ever widening audiences around the globe, how do they cost-effectively review every scene for compliant content for each country? New AI-powered tools are getting better at understanding the content and can identify scenes that may violate rules in a particular geography. These tools can review hundreds of hours of content for compliance issues in just a matter of minutes, flagging specific scenes for further manual review. First pass review is a great use case for AI/ML tools, as their output can guide human review, resulting in far more efficiency and content throughput. As a result, manual steps need only focus on the portion of the content flagged by the automated tools, not the content in its entirety.
The tools I saw on the floor of IBC may be immature in some respects, but they foreshadow what’s coming to our industry. It’s an exciting time, and it’s also a time to start experimenting. Don’t wait for these tools to become perfect. You have platforms that will allow you to try these tools without having to make big upfront investments. You can build new supply chains that integrate these new tools without worrying about technical integration challenges. Platform providers, such as SDVI with the Rally platform, have already addressed the thorny integration issues. Use our expertise in integrating new tools for the supply chain to experiment. Try new tools. Run your content through new AI engines to see if they help accelerate your ability to serve new markets.
Experiment. Then iterate. Multiple times, if necessary. My point is that experimentation and iteration are low-cost and low-risk ways to try new approaches and new tools. In the end, you will innovate. And innovation is always a winner in the market.
If you were at IBC this year, what tools caught your attention? Let us know if you would like to see them available as a Rally Application Service!
