Lessons from a media company's AI journey

We work with businesses across a broad range of industries, but primarily our focus has been with large media companies.
There are a host of applications and benefits to implementing AI into a large media company, especially around content personalization and distribution. So what have we learned about best practices when it comes to implementing and scaling an AI solution?

1. Start Small and Scale Up: When experimenting with AI the best option is to choose a defined use case based on existing customer feedback and solve a small problem to begin with. Start with something like a simple chatbot or voice assistant then gradually add more features based on user feedback. Test and refine the experience and gradually add more features to grow within your users comfort zone.

2. Collect User Feedback: It sounds obvious, but putting a plan in place to listen to your audience is critical to understanding what features work, and where improvement is needed. Implement feedback mechanisms within the AI solution then be sure to actually use that feedback to improve the accuracy of the AI and the overall user experience (UX).

3. Manage User Expectations and Promote Transparency: It is so important to communicate with your users and keep them realistic about what the AI is capable of. Be honest about any new features and what users will be able to do. Make sure everything has been tested thoroughly internally prior to pushing it out and train users based on any constructive feedback. This will help manage expectations and avoid disappointment and frustration up front.

4. Focus on User Experience: Keep UX front and centre when deciding on any technical capabilities. How will this feel and play out in the hands of the user? Is it intuitive? Is it user friendly? Does it deliver value? Making your experience sticky, helpful and loveable will ensure users not only keep coming back, but will share it with their friends as well.

5. Invest in Continuous Improvement: AI needs to be looked at as an ongoing commitment in excellence. User feedback and new advancements in the tech mean there will always be new problems to solve and new opportunities to explore. An ongoing investment will make sure your solution stays relevant and effective.

    

    

The key takeaways in our experience to date would be that implementing AI into a media organization has fantastic benefits when it comes to personalizing and surfacing content, but it's important to stage the process responsibly and ensure UX is front and centre. Check in with your users frequently, listen to their feedback and commit to continually improving. 

If you're interested in learning more check out our whitepaper about implementing AI into a media organization.