Ezra Eeman discusses NPO's AI strategy, from accessibility to synthetic voices, in this episode. Topics include AI in news workflows, mental health care services, image/video generation tools, European broadcasters' relationships with tech companies, and the future of news with AI content creation.
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Quick takeaways
The complexities of forming an AI strategy in a decentralized public broadcasting system involve aligning efforts across various teams and establishing common principles for public service media mission.
Utilizing AI in news production offers benefits in efficiency but also extends to audience-facing initiatives for accessibility, including exploring multi-modality approaches to enhance news experiences.
Deep dives
Structuring AI Strategy in Newsrooms
Ezra Amen from Dutch public broadcaster Enbiel discusses the challenge of forming an AI strategy in a decentralized public broadcasting system with multiple newsrooms. To align AI efforts across various teams of different sizes, they gathered existing use cases, established common principles, and outlined strategic guidelines tied to their public service media mission.
Use Cases of AI in News Production
Enbiel primarily utilizes AI in news production, focusing on transcription, labeling metadata, editing assistance, subtitling, and storyboarding. While current AI applications enhance efficiency in production workflows, attention is shifting towards audience-facing initiatives for greater accessibility and expanding content offerings.
Enhancing Audience Experience with AI
Enbiel experiments with AI to make news more accessible, particularly through rephrasing complex news into easy language versions. They explore multi-modality, employing visual enhancements for podcasts to aid those with auditory disabilities, creating a more inclusive news experience.
Future Considerations in AI Integration
Looking ahead, Enbiel plans to use AI for synthesizing broadcast hosts' voices, improving storytelling through generated content, and potentially integrating AI avatars for specific news functions. They aim to balance technological advancements with maintaining audience trust and ensuring content relevance in a changing information landscape.
Ezra Eeman, the Director of Strategy & Innovation at the Dutch Public Broadcaster NPO joins Nikita Roy to discuss NPO's AI strategy, revealing the complexities of navigating this frontier within a decentralized network of 13 broadcasters. From leveraging AI for accessibility and efficiency to cautious experiments with synthetic voices and avatars, NPO's approach offers a fascinating case study in balancing innovation with public trust.
With almost 20 years of experience in media, innovation, and journalism, Ezra has been at the forefront of digital transformation. Previously he was the Change Director at international media company Mediahuis, where he was responsible for coordinating newsroom transformation and digital acceleration. He also served as the Head of Digital, Transformation and Platforms at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), and prior to that, he was head of an innovation lab and journalist at VRT, the Flemish public broadcaster.
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