IBC2024 will shine a spotlight on future trends within the media industry, driven by the eight projects chosen as part of its IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme.
This year’s Accelerator Programme includes a “Special Incubator Project” that builds on innovative live production technologies established by projects in previous years.
All of the projects will be on show in the Accelerator Zone and presented live on the Innovation Stage throughout the show.
The eight projects cover trends including artificial intelligence, sustainability, countering disinformation, digital talent provenance and live production, the Accelerator programme aims to gather together a mix of companies from across the global media, entertainment and technology communities to explore solutions to critical challenges faced by the industry.
On Friday 13th September, TinkerList will be among the partners discussing Evolution of the Control Room – Leveraging XR, Voice, AI & HTML-Based. The aim of the project is to explore how the control room will evolve, and ask if we will see a future where a broadcast studio is controlled by one person, using his voice while wearing VR glasses, explains Aaron Nuytemans, head of partnerships and projects, TinkerList.
“We wanted to push the limits of what’s out there,” he explains. “Using new web technology and API integrations, you can see that the standard control room is not 100 per cent a given anymore. Small FAST channels might indeed benefit from voice-automated studios.”
Nutyemans adds that he sees IBC as “the moment to showcase what we’ve building on”.
“This year, we’re showcasing our Newsroom System (NRCS), which is built on the concept of Modular Journalism and AI. We want to prove we can control any device, straight from the NRCS,” he adds.
Elsewhere, the AI Media Production Lab features three projects, including Generative AI in Action, AI Audience Validation Assistant (AAVA) and Changing the Game: Predictive Generative AI.
The team behind Generative AI in Action is producing an entire TV episode using generative AI at every step.
“Our goal was to test the capabilities and limitations of Gen AI in media production,” explains Sonia Lange – AI lead and senior animator, Somersault.
“We established a hybrid system we called the ‘70/30 rule’ where 70 per cent of the assets were AI-generated content mixed with 30 per cent of the work crafted through traditional workflows.
Lange adds that creativity and expertise are crucial when working with Gen AI. “It’s not just about using the tools on a surface level but directing them effectively to achieve high-quality, professional results,” she continues. “Gen AI works best when guided by experienced creatives who have refined taste and industry knowledge.”
The project employs Adobe Firefly with Photoshop’s generative fill, Runway for video, voice AI, and, ChatGPT. “While AI generates core content, achieving consistency in style and quality requires an iterative creative process,” says Lange. “When using Gen AI tools for professional productions, we create custom assets to refine and elevate the final product, blending AI outputs with our creative expertise for a polished result.”
Details about all of this year’s IBC Accelerator projects are available here.
