By Georgette Virgo
Photo courtesy of Jagan Cuddapah
Media has shifted in recent years, transforming the types of content people consume and how that content is created, stored, and presented to audiences. Gone are the days of linear programming and static content libraries. Today’s media is dynamic and data-driven, where content is increasingly personalized, interactive, and accessible across multiple platforms.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has played a pivotal role in this transformation, a fact well understood by industry leaders like Jagannath “Jagan” Cuddapah, Sales and Partnerships lead at Google Cloud.
AI has enhanced how media creates, curates, and delivers content. Companies can use AI to analyze vast data sets and predict audience preferences. AI also automates the process of tagging and categorizing content. Finally, it delivers highly personalized recommendations to users.
Cuddapah has 17 years of diverse experience spanning consulting, technology strategy, IT operations, and AI implementation in media. This background has played a vital role in developing AI solutions that streamline content management, improve user experiences, and optimize distribution strategies.
The Role of AI in Content Management
Content is the lifeblood of the media industry, serving as the primary vehicle through which information, entertainment, and ideas are conveyed to audiences. In today’s digital age, content creation, management, and distribution have become increasingly complex. Media companies are striving to meet the growing and changing demand for high-quality, personalized experiences across multiple platforms.
Jagannath Cuddapah believes in efficient content creation, curation, and delivery. He sees these abilities as critical factors in determining the success and relevance of media companies in a highly competitive industry.
This is where AI comes in. Jagannath Cuddapah explains how AI-powered solutions aim to streamline and enhance various aspects of the content management lifecycle, from creation and curation to distribution and analysis.
“AI automates routine tasks such as content tagging, categorization, and metadata generation, freeing up human resources to focus on more creative and strategic endeavors,” he mentions.
Moreover, AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data to provide insights into audience preferences and behaviors, enabling media companies to create more targeted and engaging content. This leads to improved viewing experiences as content becomes more personalized and relevant to individual users.
AI also enhances content quality by assisting in editing, suggesting improvements, and generating content ideas based on trending topics and user interests. It promises to deliver better-quality content and more immersive, tailored experiences for audiences across all media platforms.
AI in Application
Better Content for Better Viewer Experience
Jagannath Cuddapah heads Strategic Industries for Media & Entertainment and Gaming at Google Cloud. His work has been instrumental in improving content presentation in live streaming, particularly for sports games.
Cuddapah led the development of the Intelligent Asset System (IAS) media management platform. This system has enabled a well-known sports channel to seamlessly integrate archived footage with live content, resulting in a more engaging and immersive viewing experience. His team also
Jagannath Cuddapah describes an AI solution using Google Cloud’s Vertex AI Vision. This technology enables quick analysis and retrieval of vast amounts of content, including historical game footage, significantly faster than traditional methods. Jagannath’s team also helped a large media organization generate closed captioning using Vertex AI.
As a result, live sports broadcasts can now dynamically incorporate relevant historical moments, player statistics, and comparative analyses. This enriches the narrative of current games and deepens viewer engagement.
Commentators can now provide richer context, drawing parallels between current plays and iconic moments from the past or highlighting a player’s career progression through carefully selected clips.
Jagannath Cuddapah shares, “The AI-driven system enhances the storytelling aspect of sports broadcasting and caters to the modern viewer’s appetite for data-driven insights and personalized content. This offers sports fans a more comprehensive and engaging way to experience their favorite sports.”
Personalized Content for Viewer Retention
Cuddapah’s deployment of AI in content personalization has significantly transformed how media and gaming companies engage with their audiences. He conducted data analysis and collaborated with the engineering, design, product, and customer team that developed the AI-powered Gaming Data Engine.
This AI platform enabled a gaming company giant to gather and analyze gamer data in a centralized location, leading to a 20% reduction in data management costs. More importantly, it empowered the company to create new features tailored to user preferences and behaviors.
As they understood users more efficiently and effectively, the gaming company developed targeted products that enhanced user experiences, leading to more prolonged application usage and retention.
Jagannath Cuddapah’s leadership in the Media Recommendations AI Project showcases AI-driven personalization beyond gaming. This initiative involved advanced data analysis and user preference understanding to refine streaming platform algorithms.
The project aimed to provide personalized “what to watch next” suggestions, improving user engagement and satisfaction through tailored content recommendations.
“We want our viewers to stay. And the easiest way to do it is to give them what they want. This is how companies use AI. They present what customers want and use this information to create more personalized products that make customers feel more connected,” Jagannath Cuddapah adds.
AI Risks and Danger in Content Management
Jagannath Cuddapah plays a key role in advancing AI for media applications. However, he remains acutely aware of the potential dangers associated with this new technology. He is particularly concerned about its potential misuse in creating fake content.
As AI technology becomes more sophisticated, the risk of generating and disseminating misleading or deceptive media increases. This poses significant ethical and operational challenges in content management.
Jagannath Cuddapah and his Google Cloud team are dedicated to ongoing risk assessment and responsible AI development with built-in safeguards. They view AI integration in media as a continuous learning process requiring constant adaptation. AI’s rapid evolution demands a commitment to ongoing learning and improvement.
“We stay informed about the latest developments and ethical considerations in AI,” he mentions. This method involves refining algorithms to enhance accuracy and reliability and includes starting a culture of ethical awareness and proactive risk management.
As AI continues transforming media, Cuddapah’s dedication to responsible development highlights the importance of balancing technological advancement with moral considerations, certifying that AI serves the industry’s good.
