Today’s digital universe has redefined the media industry. The ubiquity of streaming platforms, the volume of new content, and the broader impact of digital transformation have introduced new possibilities, challenges, and consumer expectations. To thrive in this dynamic environment, media professionals must be equipped to seize the opportunities offered by data, analytics, and AI technologies.
With the global market for AI in Media and Entertainment projected to grow from USD $17.1 billion in 2023 to USD $195.7 billion by 2033, the media industry appears eager to harness the power of AI. Still, unlocking the full value of this investment will require workforces with the knowledge and skills to apply these technologies effectively across business functions. As media companies explore the potential of a more data-driven, AI-powered future in their industry, there are several questions they should consider.
How are you leveraging data and AI to deliver more personalized experiences to your audience?
Personalization ranks high among the consumer expectations that today’s technologies have elevated from desirable to imperative, with 71% of consumers expecting communications and products/services to be personally relevant to them. AI tools can help media companies transform data related to consumer preferences and behavior into measurable impact across business areas—including marketing, content creation, customer service, and distribution. By offering personalized experiences that resonate with individual consumers, media companies can enhance engagement, accessibility, content discoverability, subscriber retention, and customer satisfaction.
In what ways are you exploring AI to enhance your content creation process and boost productivity?
AI-powered tools can automate many of the administrative tasks that draw creative professionals away from creative pursuits. The Associated Press (AP), for example, is using AI to generate earnings reports, and 56% of publishers rank back end automation—including tagging, transcription, and copyediting—among the most important newsroom applications for AI. Just a few of the ways media companies are using AI technologies in content creation include generating ideas for content, performing research, understanding of the audience, synthesizing information, translating copy, and designing visual elements. AI tools can also serve as production assistants, managing many of the logistical details related to production projects and reducing video production times.
How are you utilizing AI to derive audience insights to inform your content strategy and business decisions?
With AI-powered audience analytics, such as sentiment analysis, media companies can anticipate customer churn and make more informed decisions to increase audience engagement, content discoverability, and subscriber retention. Media companies can also implement AI technologies to inform the deployment of technology-enabled strategies for boosting revenue, such as dynamic paywalls and dynamic pricing. In addition, by leveraging predictive analytics, they can optimize content, release schedules, and distribution channels.
Which areas of your operations do you see as prime candidates for data-driven efficiency improvements?
Through automation, and with the ability to process vast volumes of data in real time, AI can help media companies improve processes and streamline business functions ranging from marketing, customer service, and compliance to pre- and post-production. For example, a video effects company recently demonstrated how its team can use generative AI to help line producers accomplish in hours what would otherwise take a full week of work, bringing them 70% of the way from script to previsualization. Other business processes that AI tools can help media professionals handle more efficiently include transcription, content distribution, translation, and compliance review.
In what ways can AI support your efforts to protect your content from piracy and unauthorized use?
For the media industry, identifying and addressing IP infringements is especially critical, and AI technologies can both complicate and mitigate these threats. AI tools equipped with natural language processing and image recognition capabilities can be instrumental in limiting piracy by detecting unauthorized use of copyrighted or trademarked content across platforms. Media companies can employ anti-piracy AI tools and watermarking technologies to continuously monitor the internet, flag places where their digital content appears, and take action on users and sites that are engaging with unauthorized content.
How do you envision AI supporting your quality control processes, from fact-checking to content moderation?
Manual review of posts is not sufficient for ensuring the veracity, relevance, and appropriateness of content at the volume and pace demanded today. AI-powered content moderation tools augment the efforts of human moderators at the velocity needed in today’s climate of rapid content generation. By automating the monitoring and filtering of content, these technologies help media companies minimize the dissemination of harmful, false misleading, or offensive messaging.
To realize the full potential of data science and AI in the media industry, media workforces must be prepared to recognize the opportunities they offer and implement them across the enterprise. This means empowering media professionals in all business units and functions with data and AI literacy that will help them discover data-driven insights, use new tools effectively, and propel the media industry into the AI-enabled future.
At Data Society, we understand that realizing the full potential of data analytics and AI in the media industry requires empowering your entire workforce with the skills they need to thrive. Our tailored data and AI literacy programs equip media professionals across all business units to recognize opportunities, leverage new tools, and make data-driven decisions that can propel your organization into tomorrow and beyond. Whether it’s discovering insights, enhancing content creation, or improving operational efficiency, we are here to help your team implement AI and data solutions effectively across the enterprise. Partner with Data Society today to ensure your media company is ready to lead in the AI-driven future.
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