Mining the AI Potential
Once upon a time, there was an industry that called programmatic code software and not artificial intelligence .
In media storage, you've probably heard AI used in the context of image searching your media archive to find a matching actor's face
Because AI has become an almost ubiquitously used phrase, and therefore somewhat grating, it would be easy to dismiss it from our thoughts but is there anything behind the term that we should be taking notice of?
Search: The Final Frontier
Google processes a lot of data. Some estimates say that Google handle 1.2 trillion searches per annum. I don't know, but I'd imagine 99.999% of those searches are based around language. However, in a world where an estimated 80% of data is unstructured, and the vast majority of that unstructured data is video data, it is clear that search has a long way to go.
The next stage is to be able to search video and, for reasons we will briefly touch on, often the techniques used to analyse video and to allow meaningful search of video is described as AI.
Why is it called AI? A few years ago we'd have called it: image searching; video searching or software algorithms , but since the success of Apple Siri, Amazon Echo etc., the general public psyche and lexicon has begun to consider any such technology artificial intelligence . This is even if it doesn't have a self-learning feedback loop or some other mechanism of analysis enhancement over time. So, though it irks me, let's join the bandwagon and call it AI video analysis and search as well.
What cannot be ignored is that this is exciting. Video archives that previously sat dormant can now be queried for all types of things:
What footage of Princess Diana do we have?
Have we ever shot a news item on that street before?
Who has ever played number 7 for England?
Those image searching algorithms are nascent but are quickly being realised. On the other hand, semantic video analysis is more basic to date but will answer more and more questions such as:
This part of the movie is a car chase
Alert! Look at this CCTV stream because a street fight has broken out
This movie is a modern day remake of the magnificent seven
Cars on this road have gone from 100% driven to 30% self-driven in the past 5 years
Unstructured data (or unstructured information) is information that either does not have a pre-defined data model or is not organized in a pre-defined manner. Unstructured information is typically text-heavy, but may contain data such as dates, numbers, and facts as well.
So AI video analysis and search is beginning to be able to unlock the value in media archives, and this importantly allows better reuse of media assets for all types of analysis, documentary making, sports fan lookups, and countless other usages. This will only go from strength to strength, but, is that really what AI in media archiving is all about?
AI: Beyond Image Searching
Although the trend is to think about AI in the context of search that would certainly limit our definition.
One of the key challenges with storage today is data gravity . Or, to put it simply, having the video data where it needs to be processed and when it needs to be processed, is a mixture of moving data to where it needs to be seen or processed, or, moving to process to where the data is. Ingenious storage systems are needed to manage this. Take for instance a production that is to be post-produced by teams in different countries. Assets should be available to those teams as and when they are ready to work on those assets. That's where artificial intelligence can come in: moving assets around for us.
Furthermore, artificial intelligence can manage this in a manner that also protects data against any kind of loss and with security in mind. AI storage becomes your 24/7 super-administrator so that you don't need to spend your days making data transfers or worrying about data security.
The term AI in media storage then should not be limited to purely AI searching; it is also about AI data management.
Can Video Search Change the Industry Dynamics for Video Owners?
All in all the media industry should be hugely excited about the new video search techniques coming on to the market for the simple reason that they allow the holders of media archives to better monetise and re-use content.
But could it be that this is just the beginning? Will AI production mixed with video search be able to cut new content? Will video search allow a whole new analytics industry to develop new Googles new Facebooks? Could it be that the owners of video archives will gain more of their revenue from that archive than they do from new content?
The future is uncertain, but the foundations of that future are here and now.
Data gravity is an analogy of the nature of data and its ability to attract additional applications and services. The Law of Gravity states that the attraction between objects is directly proportional to their weight (or mass). Dave McCrory coined the term data gravity to describe the phenomenon in which the number or quantity and the speed at which services, applications, and even customers are attracted to data increases as the mass of the data also increases.
The Object Matrix View
Our conclusion for AI, in general, is that the term will quickly become redundant (again) since it is being used too ubiquitously! However
For AI Search our conclusions are:
Includes image search, object searching, semantic analysis and speech to text
It will revolutionise how and why we hold video archives
It will monetise archives in new ways: keeping archives offline will no longer be viable
It will move from niche to mainstream over the coming years
For AI data management our conclusions are:
It will move data and data processing algorithms
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
02/07/2026
Blackmagic PYXIS 6K Used to Shoot Director Takahisa Zeze's Cry Out
Brie Clayton July 2, 2026
0 Comments
Highly mobile camera supports tense and de...
02/07/2026
Broadcast Solutions acquires BFE, expanding its lead in European broadcast, medi...
02/07/2026
Berklee Alum and Faculty Perform at Boston Public Library's 250th Anniversar...
02/07/2026
Broadcast Solutions GmbH, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast media industry, is acquiring BFE Studio und Medien...
02/07/2026
Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software-defined television technology, has extended the ingest facility at leading Brazilian sports company LiveMode, work...
02/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/07/2026
Standalone processors acknowledged for the innovation and value they bring to Pro AV
Cobalt Digital, a leading designer and manufacturer of signal processing ...
02/07/2026
Synamedia announced today the appointment of Dr Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transitio...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia backs audience-led filmmaking with new insight-driven initiativ...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia refines guidelines for Narrative Content Development and Docume...
02/07/2026
Maxon Autograph: Introduction to working with Tables
Simon Ubsdell July 1, 2026
0 Comments
An overview of Autograph's ridiculously powerful tables...
02/07/2026
Boston Conservatory's Soir e Breaks Records to Fund Student Scholarships The event achieved 127 percent of its fundraising goal in an evening celebrating ...
02/07/2026
How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Med Tech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might thin...
02/07/2026
Summer is heating up - and GeForce NOW is taking players along for the ride.
Start the month with Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains, bringing a galaxy fa...
01/07/2026
Broadcast Management Group (BMG) has announced the appointment of Kathy Samuels ...
01/07/2026
Shade has announced Custom Objects and Automations, a platform expansion releasing June 29, 2026, that adds database and workflow automation capabilities direct...
01/07/2026
FOR-A America has announced the addition of Jaz Wray and Fernando Cruz to its U.S. sales team. Both report to Ernie Leon, Senior VP and Head of Sales and Strate...
01/07/2026
NBC Sports will air all 15 MLB games nationally on Sunday, July 5, across NBC, P...
01/07/2026
Clear-Com has announced a wireless communications upgrade for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, deploying FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon systems across both prod...
01/07/2026
England's performance team will use Sony's STATSports APEX GPS tracking system to monitor player physical data in real time during FIFA World Cup 2026 m...
01/07/2026
Adder Technology has announced the appointment of Neil Hillier as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Hillier succeeds Adrian Dickens, who transiti...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. has announced a strategic transaction creating two separate companies. The Production and Playout business will continue as Bitcentral, now own...
01/07/2026
DAZN has announced results from DAZN48, its creator initiative for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Launched in April 2026, the program received thousands of applicatio...
01/07/2026
Sarah Rose, VP, global services, Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT), will be inducted into the Information Display and Entertainment Association (IDEA) Hall of Fame at t...
01/07/2026
Gravity Media and the World Economic Forum's production team provided broadc...
01/07/2026
Insight Productions has announced the launch of Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit built for esports production. The truck is built around a Ross Vi...
01/07/2026
ESPN has announced several content initiatives marking America's 250th anniversary, as part of The Walt Disney Company's Disney Celebrates America pro...
01/07/2026
Eleven production kits, REMI workflows, and cloud distribution bring 40 World Cu...
01/07/2026
The conference also discussed the opportunities offered an industry that is endu...
01/07/2026
The Mountain West Conference has announced the launch of MW , a direct-to-consumer streaming platform powered by Kiswe. The platform will carry live Mountain We...
01/07/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
01/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
01/07/2026
Exclusive run of limited-edition modelling pedals
Sweetwater and Andertons M...
01/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...
01/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition
Brie Clayton July 1, 2026
0 Comments
Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
Mining the AI Potential
