Broadcasters Look to AI for Efficiency Gains as NAB Approaches

Broadcasters anticipate that AI and machine learning are the technology that could have the most impact on their industry in the coming years, according to a 2024 Haivision survey.

Asked which three technologies will have the biggest effect on broadcast in the next five years, 60% of respondents named AI and machine learning, particularly as a tool to bring efficiencies and production gains through automation.

Other technologies of prime interest to broadcasters remain 5G (57%) and 4K (42%).

Only 9% of respondents named ATSC 3.0, the new broadcast standard that could enable features such as 4K and mobile broadcasting. That number might seem surprisingly low, as 75% of Nielsen households can currently see an ATSC 3.0 signal, according to ATSC. Though unlike the earlier transition from analog to digital TV, ATSC 3.0 is a voluntary standard.

AI adoption in broadcast workflows will be a key area of exploration on the exhibition floor and in the conference sessions at the annual National Association of Broadcasters Show, which begins April 13 in Las Vegas. According to the Haivision survey, only 9% of broadcasters are currently using AI, but another 40% say they plan to use the tech.

As to where they see its benefits, many said it could bring efficiency and production gains through automation (40%) as well as for automated translation and closed captioning (38%) and object recognition for video indexing (34%).

Other areas include content creation (33%), picture and bitrate optimization (31%) and improved montoring and quality control (24%). Conversely, only 12% said they view AI as a tool to increase monetization opportunities. The survey was conducted between October and December of 2023.