From Broadcasting to AI Agents: Mark Smith on Entertainment and Technology's 100-Year at IBC 2025
1What happens when 100 years of television evolution meets cutting-edge AI and 5G innovation? I explored this question with Mark Smith from IBC's board in Amsterdam.
Key Insights from Our Conversation:
How the IBC Accelerator Program is solving real media industry challenges through collaboration
Why AI is creating new jobs like "AI prompter" rather than just eliminating roles
The critical importance of content provenance in our age of synthetic media
How streaming technology is reshaping viewer expectations and behavior
Why Formula E is partnering with Google for the first IBC Hackfest
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Recent Events
00:27 Introducing IBC and Guest Mark Smith
01:16 Mark Smith's Background and Experience
02:08 History and Significance of IBC
03:07 Overview of IBC 2025
03:33 Detailed Breakdown of IBC Halls
04:15 Future Technologies and Innovation at IBC
05:30 Accelerator Media Innovation Program
07:24 AI and Technological Advancements
14:07 Concluding Thoughts and Future Prospects
This conversation illuminated how our Hybrid Analog Digital Society is consciously shaping media technology rather than simply reacting to it. From television's centennial to AI's revolutionary potential, we're witnessing purposeful innovation that preserves human creativity while embracing technological advancement.
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Media innovation, content provenance, AI in broadcasting, IBC Amsterdam, streaming technology, digital transformation, content authentication, media production, technology and society, hybrid digital society
In this solo episode, Marco explores media technology innovation with Mark Smith, IBC board member and Accelerator Program co-lead, discussing how the industry is consciously shaping its technological future at Europe's largest media technology event.
Key Discussion Points:
IBC's evolution from 1967 Brighton origins to Amsterdam's 14-hall showcase with 45,000 visitors
The Accelerator Media Innovation Program's 50+ collaborative projects since 2019
AI implementation in media production, from content creation to intelligent automation
Ultra-low latency streaming achieving sub-two-second glass-to-glass delivery
Content provenance systems using C2PA standards for media verification
Private 5G applications for remote sports coverage and marathon broadcasting
The balance between viewer personalization and professional editorial vision
Notable Quotes:
Marco: "In my head, it's the convergence of many different technologies ultimately that allow us to make the big step into a specific industry."
Marco: "Nowadays, everybody is a content creator. I don't know if it's a good or bad thing. I'm still trying to figure it out, but the point is that the technology is there."
Mark: "It's an opportunity to take out a lot of laborious processes... it's creating jobs as well. Who would've thought that an AI prompter would be a job, but it really is."
Mark: "I see it as exciting. I see it as a way of revolutionizing the excitement of creating content and the ability to give you more creative choices."
Mark: "It's all about whose hands these technologies are in... In my world and in the world of media, it's all about positive use of these technologies to change the efficiency and the quality and the creativity of media."
Mark: "We always find a way to solve some of these problems, solve some of these challenges. To understand these things, and I think we're at the very beginning of an explosion."
Mark: "The value of sports rights... massive, billions these days... just shows how important that content is from a cybersecurity perspective."