Connections

The media and entertainment industry is changing faster than a DJ’s beat drop, thanks to digital transformation, smart content, workflows, and automation with AI.

It’s like watching a movie in fast forward, with smart content leading the charge as the Hollywood A-lister.

Smart content is the chameleon of content, adapting to any situation with metadata and making it easy to find, manage, and distribute assets. Like having your own personal content butler, it takes care of everything while you sit back and enjoy the show.

AI acts as the industry’s superhero, swooping in to save the day by automating laborious tasks and reducing costs faster than a speeding bullet. It knows how to do every- thing, from video editing to transcription to metadata tagging.

Who needs a human assistant when you have AI?

It may be frightening for some people, but the reality is who actually enjoys manually adding metadata to content? I’m pretty sure there are no “end- of-the-year bonuses” for adding a million data tags.

Allowing AI to tag content allows creatives to be more creative.

AI and smart content are a match made in heaven, creating personalized content tailored to individual users like a bespoke suit.

Call it a personal genie, granting your content wishes.

Who needs a magic lamp or David Copperfield when you have AI and smart content working together?

Of course, with great power comes great responsibility. The adoption of AI and smart content has presented new challenges, like the need for upskilling and reskilling. It’s like trying to learn a new dance move while the music is still playing.

But with the right training, industry professionals can learn to tango like a pro. This is where change can be very hard for people and organizations.

We tend to complain about doing mundane or repetitive tasks but still don’t want to change, do things differently or learn new things. Change is hard. And learning new things can be as frightening as an episode of “Svengoolie.”

Another challenge surrounds the ethical implications of AI and smart content.

With AI, it’s like having a digital clone that can create content that’s virtually indistinguishable from reality.

Kind of like living in The Matrix, but without the cool slow-motion effects. It’s up to us industry professionals to use AI and smart content for good and not evil.

Over the past 10-plus years, the MESA community has always encouraged positive, innovative, and ethical solutions to push the industry forward.

Despite the challenges, the adoption of AI and smart content has presented significant opportunities for the M&E industry.

Smart content can be used to create new revenue streams like a money tree that never stops growing. And AI can be used to personalize content for individual users like a digital cupid, making content more engaging and compelling.

Digital transformation has also impacted workflows, making them more automated, streamlined, and efficient. Like employing a digital personal assistant that knows exactly what you need before you even ask, we now can focus on higher-level tasks and be more creative and strategic than ever before.

Digital transformation technologies is like watching a never-ending movie franchise, with new and exciting developments popping up all the time.

And just like any good movie franchise, industry professionals will need to keep up with the latest developments to remain competitive and stay ahead of the curve.

With the right attitude and a willingness to learn, you can join the industry’s digital revolution and be a part of something truly exciting.

With the entire MESA community offering solutions that prove change isn’t that hard, we’re seeing new technologies create a self-driving train of innovation.

Buckle up, grab your popcorn, and get ready for the ride of your life.

* By Mary Yurkovic, Director, Smart Content Council, MESA *

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