The far-reaching influence of AI can’t be denied. Its impact is soaring through industries one by one, and digital audiovisual archiving is no exception.
By automating tasks, improving data analysis, and enhancing accessibility, AI is generating new opportunities to preserve and utilize valuable archive content. This technological advancement not only enhances efficiency but also opens doors to new revenue streams and monetization opportunities.
However, it’s crucial to remember that AI can only work once the content has been digitized, making the initial step of converting physical media like tapes, discs, or film into digital files essential. Additionally, while AI can streamline processes and uncover insights, it’s important to note that this technical revolution is not a replacement for human expertise.
A Demand For Audiovisual Archives
Over the last few years, several factors have contributed to the sudden increased demand for audiovisual archives, including the pandemic. Unable to travel due to restrictions and faced with the increasing demand for 24/7 content across new platforms, production teams were forced to find innovative ways to deliver new, exciting content. To fulfill this, filmmakers and broadcasters turned to archived content that could be repurposed.
This trend has since continued, with popular examples including Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos and Beckham. In such cases, digital preservation not only protects stories from getting lost in time but also breathes new life into them, making them accessible to new generations who may be discovering these classics for the first time.
Today’s audiovisual archive owners face a critical threat: technology, format, and knowledge obsolescence. Legacy equipment is becoming increasingly scarce, and the skills needed to maintain and migrate these formats are dwindling. This poses a significant risk of content loss for media organizations as they’re running out of time to safeguard their content libraries.
AI’s Role
AI is revolutionizing content and metadata management in numerous ways. It empowers end-users to retrieve archive assets through visual AI search, facilitating a wide range of applications, from supplying stills to social media teams to providing historical photography for production design. AI also enables the monetization of archive media assets for use in marketing campaigns.
Beyond search and discovery, AI-powered automation features like in-picture image recognition, transcription, translation, and file trimming streamline the content curation process. However, human oversight remains crucial, as AI’s limitations, such as potential inaccuracies in facial recognition and auto-tagging, can impact the overall effectiveness of these tools.
AI is reshaping the archiving industry, requiring a shift in skills. While AI can automate tasks like data entry and content enrichment, it can’t fully replace the need for human expertise. AI’s inability to understand context and its literal interpretation of information can limit its effectiveness. This is why human intervention remains crucial for tasks requiring nuanced understanding, such as complex data analysis, decision-making, and creative problem-solving.
In addition, as experienced engineers and maintenance technicians retire, a skills gap will emerge. This skills shortage will be particularly evident in the manual processes that are required to maintain and repair archival equipment. To address this, it’s crucial to invest in training the next generation of archivists.
The Verdict
AI offers immense potential for the archiving industry. Ultimately, though, without human intervention, AI can have unwanted consequences. The design approach of “human in/on the loop” emphasizes the importance of human oversight and control in AI processes. Supervision is essential — AI can’t replace the knowledge and expertise of humans. Archivists and content creators will continue to play a vital role in the process of curating, interpreting, and providing context for historical content materials.
Heidi Shakespeare is CEO of Memnon.
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- Digital Preservation
- Video Archiving