TKT1957 Exclusive: Interview with Pavel Potužák, the Aveco CEO.

• In your opinion, what are the main trends of IBC 2023?

To be honest, I haven’t delved deep into IBC’s offerings this year. Within our group, however, the media technology trends are evident. There’s a strong drive towards cloud migration. Yet, there’s a growing counter-trend: a reluctance to fully commit to the cloud, or as I’d put it, keeping the feet off the ground. People are becoming more discerning, looking beyond marketing pitches. They’re weighing the economic implications, workflow impacts, and legal facets of these new technologies. It’s heartening to see this skepticism; it’s always good to question before embracing.

• What new products is your company showcasing at IBC 2023?

On the innovation front, our strategy revolves around three pillars: creating, managing, and delivering. In the ‘create’ domain, we’ve rolled out cutting-edge tools, including a news production automation system. With the media landscape exploding with assets, robust media asset management is non-negotiable. We’ve launched a state-of-the-art system, a greenfield development harnessing the latest tech. Then there’s our ‘deliver’ suite, anchored by our cloud solution. We’ve also ventured into alternative delivery channels, like social media publishing. Our offerings are holistic, designed to empower our clients in their business endeavors.

• With the rise and popularity of AI, are there any developments in integrating AI into your solutions?

While we have a fondness for silicon-based intelligence, we hold carbon-based intelligence in higher regard. We’ve harnessed AI for metadata enrichment, especially within our media asset management system. That’s the extent of it. We’ve also integrated AI in certain tech segments to refine our database search outcomes, particularly for metadata queries. But our primary focus? It’s undeniably on metadata enrichment.

• How would you say that AI has impacted your sector this year?

It’s a complex question. Frankly, AI unnerves me. It churns out data that masquerades as genuine information, leading to potential confusion. Both textual and visual outputs from AI can appear authentic when they’re not. The moment we start placing unwavering trust in this data, we risk losing our grip on reality. It’s a daunting prospect.