Various service providers try to get access to valuable data in relation to us and our activities. We do hear about these quite frequently in the media. Some initiatives are in action in New Zealand supermarkets to use biometrics or your picture while entering the store. Such biometrics are in use safely at locations such as airports including New Zealand. New Zealand passport holders can use electronic gates for border control.
Data is a collection of facts that can be gathered by observations, measurements, research, analysis, or symbols. Data can be processed to derive valuable information and are organised in different ways, such as graphs, charts, or tables. Data do not have any specific purpose or significance by itself unless it is put into context. Data is different from information, which is data that has been processed, interpreted, or structured to make it meaningful or useful.
Data can be obtained or mined through various mechanisms sometimes even without your consent. Then the data can be processed through various automated methods. To minimise the collection of data and storage and to mitigate harm due to misuse of data, data protection rules and regulations are in place. As explained in previous articles, Artificial Intelligence can be used to generate insights, find trends, and make predictions. As computational power advances at a rapid pace, the power of AI tools becoming valuable despite they may have drawbacks and limitations. This is becoming critical as advanced forms of AI such as Machine Learning (ML) and GenerativeAI are more accessible.
In research, finding new knowledge and insights, and making inferences require relevant data appropriately gathered for the purpose. Data analysis and techniques have been in use for years. Today, we have the ability to acquire data within the permissible limits observing ethics and privacy, while gaining enormous capacity and capability to store, process, and crunch data for insightful information. Data acquisition (mining) and processing can be improved through the use of appropriate Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in an ethical, responsible, and explainable manner.
The World Economic Forum recently released a forecast of the ranking of global risks over the next two to 10 years. Most relevant to the media industry are extreme weather events (where Public Service Media – PSM broadcasters generally ensure timely information to the public and provide early warnings for all with a high degree of resilience), misinformation and disinformation (where PSM broadcasters enjoy the trustworthiness of traditional over-the-air broadcast services against online content), and Cybersecurity.
It was alarming and unpleasant to hear about employee layoffs and job cuts among several media and broadcasting organisations such as Amazon, and Channel 4 in the UK some time back. Some streaming companies have been laying off staff without providing an explicit and clear rationale. Some reports say Google has laid off hundreds of employees in several areas of their business to further reduce costs. Amazon’s online audiobook and podcast service will lay off about 5% of its workforce. Comcast’s NBC News has undergone a series of layoffs. We have seen similar trends in New Zealand with the announcement of the closure of Newshub, a commercial television news provider, as well as job cuts at public service television broadcaster TVNZ.
There will be increased use of AI for the operations of businesses in the coming years which may have significant impacts on jobs in a wide range of industries. While AI can be used to improve the efficiency of operations, especially for carrying out boring and repetitive tasks, still AI cannot completely replace humans. AI continued to improve the complementing and augmenting role that it plays, but we still need to address some issues around ethics, explainability, bias, and also other social impacts.
The bias arises out of the nature of AI operations. Some variants of AI require training what we call the algorithms. The inferences made on data will only be as good as the quality of the data input to train those algorithms.
From a media point of view, broadcast and media systems can deliver the metadata and images needed to enhance the appeal of linear and on-demand content to meet the expectations of increasingly discerning audiences. From simple electronic programme guides to advanced interfaces, these would help content reach its widest possible audience, supporting increased consumption and audience satisfaction, and driving increased revenue potential for operators’ existence.
By Dr Amal Punchihewa – Palmerston North
