The 2024 EBU Technology & Innovation Award was won by a pioneering project at Austria’s ORF that harnesses the power of AI to serve journalists and creators. Stefan Kollinger, Chief Innovation Officer, tells the AiDitor story. This article is drawn from the forthcoming September 2024 issue of tech-i magazine.
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In the rapidly evolving landscape of media and technology, innovation is not just a buzzword; it’s a necessity. As traditional media organizations grapple with the challenges of the digital age, the need for adaptive, forward-thinking solutions has never been more apparent. Enter AiDitor, the strategic innovation project spearheaded by ORF, Austria’s national public service media organization. This groundbreaking initiative aims to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to support and enhance the daily work of ORF’s editorial staff while maintaining the “human in the loop” principle.
Empowering journalists
At its core, AiDitor is designed to empower journalists and content creators by providing them with cutting-edge AI tools and services. The platform seamlessly integrates with ORF’s existing systems, creating a powerful application that combines core systems, services, APIs, AI models and workflows. This agnostic approach allows for the accommodation of a wide range of use cases, both current and future, ensuring that AiDitor remains a flexible and future-proof solution for the ever-changing needs of the media industry.
What sets AiDitor apart is its user-centric approach. From the very beginning, the development of ideas and use cases has been strongly influenced by ORF’s staff. This collaborative spirit has not only fostered a sense of ownership among users but has also ensured that the platform meets the real-world needs of journalists and content creators.
By actively involving the end users in the development process, AiDitor has been created as a tool that truly resonates with its target audience, addressing their pain points and enhancing their workflows in meaningful ways.
Moreover, AiDitor serves as ORF’s AI hub, enabling colleagues to quickly and easily access and test AI models, functions and tools. This aspect of the platform is particularly noteworthy, as it democratizes access to cutting-edge AI technologies, empowering journalists and content creators to experiment with and leverage these tools in their daily work. By providing a centralized repository of AI resources, AiDitor facilitates the rapid dissemination of knowledge and best practices across the organization, fostering a culture of innovation and experimentation.
From prototype to beta
The journey of AiDitor began with a small start, offering colleagues the opportunity to experiment with GPT models within the organization. This initial phase quickly generated a wealth of ideas and use cases, which were swiftly realized for testing. The first comprehensive prototype was released in June 2023, and by October of the same year, AiDitor had already reached its beta version.
The platform’s rapid growth is a testament to its value and potential. Within just a few months, the prototype had attracted 200 users, a remarkable achievement that demonstrated the hunger for AI-driven solutions within the media industry. As of June 2024, AiDitor boasted an impressive 1,700+ user accounts, hundreds of weekly users, 55 workspaces for departments and teams, and a vast prompt store with over 400 prompts.
This exponential growth is a clear indication of the platform’s success in meeting the needs of its users. By providing a robust, user-friendly tool that addresses real-world challenges, AiDitor has quickly become an indispensable part of ORF’s workflow, streamlining processes, enhancing creativity, and driving innovation across the organization.
Top use cases
AiDitor’s top use cases demonstrate its versatility and effectiveness in supporting journalists and content creators. Audio transcription, audio enhancement for improving recording quality, translations, text editing, and the creation of social media posts are among the most popular applications.
These use cases highlight the platform’s ability to automate time-consuming tasks, freeing up journalists and content creators to focus on higher-value activities. By leveraging AI to handle routine tasks, such as transcription and translation, AiDitor enables its users to work more efficiently, allowing them to dedicate more time and energy to the creative and analytical aspects of their work.
Stefan Kollinger speaking at the presentation of the EBU Technology & Innovation Award 2024. Also pictured (left to right) are outgoing Technical Committee Chair Mike Nugent (ERT), Antonio Arcidiacono (EBU), Harald Kräuter (ORF) and Marco Mursteiner (ORF).
In the realm of textual use cases, there are strong trends towards the creation of short news items, headlines, translations, suggestions, idea generation and grammatical proofreading. These features not only save time but also enhance the quality and consistency of the content produced. By providing a suite of AI-powered writing tools, AiDitor empowers journalists to create compelling, error-free content more quickly and easily than ever before. Moreover, the platform’s ability to generate ideas and suggestions serves as a powerful creative aid, helping journalists to overcome writer’s block and explore new angles and perspectives. By providing a starting point for creative exploration, AiDitor unlocks the full potential of its users, enabling them to produce more engaging, impactful content.
Power of open innnovation
The innovation team behind AiDitor, led by our Innovation Manager and mastermind Marco Mursteiner and myself as Chief Innovation Officer, couldn’t be happier with the platform’s development. I believe the key to our success has been the open approach and accessibility of the system to all colleagues from the very beginning.
Innovation is not an end in itself; it requires high intrinsic motivation and personal commitment. Through numerous discussions with the industry and an excellent exchange with EBU, the AiDitor concept has been continuously validated and adapted. This perspective has proven invaluable for the development of innovation projects.
Siloed thinking and secrecy do not lead to success in this field. On the contrary, transparency and openness are of the utmost importance in the context of rapidly evolving technology and market vectors. From the start, the AiDitor team has been committed to cooperation and open exchange, setting a clear goal to create value and be a leader in innovation.
This open, collaborative approach has been instrumental in driving the platform’s success. By actively seeking input and feedback from colleagues, industry partners, and the broader media community, the AiDitor team has been able to continuously refine and improve the platform, ensuring that it remains at the forefront of AI- driven innovation in the media industry.
Recognition for AiDitor
The efforts of the AiDitor team have been recognized with the EBU Technology & Innovation Award 2024. This serves as an encouragement to colleagues in the industry to break new ground and give innovation the necessary space to flourish.
The award not only validates the hard work and vision of the team but also highlights the importance of AI-driven innovation in the media industry. As traditional media organizations face increasing pressure to adapt and evolve in the digital age, initiatives like AiDitor serve as a beacon of hope, demonstrating the transformative potential of AI to drive efficiency, creativity and growth.
Moreover, the recognition of AiDitor’s success sends a powerful message to the broader media community, encouraging organizations to embrace innovation and invest in AI-driven solutions. By showcasing the tangible benefits and impact of AiDitor, the EBU T&I Award serves as a call to action, urging media organizations to prioritize innovation and collaborate openly to drive the industry forward.
As ORF continues to push the boundaries of what is possible with AI, it sets the stage for a new era of media innovation. As the media industry continues to evolve and adapt to the challenges of this new era, initiatives like AiDitor will become increasingly essential. By harnessing the power of AI to drive efficiency, creativity, and innovation, media organizations can not only survive but thrive in the face of change.
The story of AiDitor is one of pioneering spirit, collaborative innovation, and a deep commitment to creating value for journalists, content creators, and the media industry as a whole. As we look to the future, it is clear that AI will play an increasingly central role in shaping the media landscape.