AI will become an essential part of our lives in the next few years, with the promise of delivering super-intelligent computers that exceed human analytical abilities. This is, however, several years away; indeed, the industry has only just embarked upon understanding what’s possible. 

Arguably the hype surrounding AI thus far has meant that the technology is being squeezed into everything: “AI is the answer… now, what was the question?” The situation is changing, as companies begin to understand the beneficial effects of AI and how it maps to specific applications. 

Executed with efficacy and respect, AI promises to enable far more efficient solutions to complex problems; certainly, AI techniques will become an intrinsic element in most large systems. Meanwhile, there are ethical questions surrounding AI: there is nervousness over what happens if it works and, conversely, deep-rooted concerns over what transpires if it doesn't work. Machine learning offers plenty of scope for both outcomes, given the challenges of AI bias on one hand and the mysterious nature of machine learned models on the other. 

In this white paper, commissioned by InterDigital, Futuresource examines the status of machine learning and artificial intelligence with emphasis on applications across the video supply chain. We investigate the issues surrounding the broad uses of AI across segments of the media industry and highlight several examples of how the discipline is employed today and how it promises to develop in future.