Two surveys indicate substantial interest from journalists and academics in the regular events hosted by the newly established AI for Media Network, revealing the most sought-after topics and event formats.
The AI for Media Network, which recently launched, targets AI specialists in journalism and academia. It serves as an interdisciplinary platform for demonstrating and collaboratively developing AI solutions for editorial applications. The network is designed for AI practitioners from broadcasters, media companies, industry, and academia in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
To tailor the AI for Media Network to the needs of its target audiences as effectively as possible, we conducted two surveys to gauge their expectations: one for journalism and media professionals, and another for researchers.
These insights will directly influence the planning of upcoming events. Given the intense interest in large language model applications, the meetup on June 13 at Ippen Digital will focus on AI assistants for various types of text generation. The hackathon focused on generative AI and automated workflows in news production responds to the strong interest in content automation expressed in the survey.
Media Professionals: High Demand for AI in Content Production and Research
The media survey attracted 63 participants, primarily journalists, followed by programmers and product developers. There was significant interest in topics such as Large Language Models (LLMs), content automation, and AI in distribution.
The greatest demand for AI solutions was in content production and creation, research, and user behavior analysis.
The survey showed strong interest in regular events, with 60-minute online meetups being the most popular format, followed by large specialist conferences lasting one to two days, and half-day in-person meetings.
Participants are looking for knowledge growth and networking.
Scientific Perspective: Emphasis on Ethics and LLMs
The survey for scientists saw participation from 36 individuals, most are actively engaged in AI research. Ethical aspects of AI technology were a primary concern, closely followed by large language models and content automation.
Scientists also preferred online meetups and conferences for regular interactions, highlighting the importance of networking and knowledge exchange.
Shared Goals and Interests
Both media industry experts and academics primarily seek knowledge transfer and networking opportunities from the AI for Media Network. They also share interest in large language models and content automation, which are crucial for both practical media applications and academic research.
Both groups showed high interest in the network’s regular events, with online meetups being the most favored, followed by one- to two-day conferences.
Upcoming Events
“The AI for Media Network has resonated, as evidenced by the strong interest in regular professional exchanges on AI applications”, commented Uli Köppen, Head of the AI+Automation Lab at BR. These insights will directly influence the planning of upcoming events.
The dates for the upcoming events of the AI for Media Network have been scheduled. The meetup on June 13 at Ippen Digital will focus on AI assistants for various types of text generation, featuring presentations by editors on how these tools aid their staff.
The network’s first hackathon, focusing on ‘Generative AI and Automated Workflows in News Production’, will take place from July 17 to 19 at Microsoft’s Munich office. A second in-person meetup is scheduled for October 9 at BR, which will be followed by the annual conference of Women in Data Science at the same venue the next day. Further online meetups, as requested by survey participants, will be announced soon.
ⓘ If you have any questions, please contact AI for Media Network Manager Bernd Oswald at aiformedia@br.de or check out the AI for Media Website.
