Five media and content trends in New Year

"AI tools will support us even more and allow us to tailor our content to different user needs with just one click e.g., by creating different text variants or moulding the content into a suitable video," said Anja Behrend, data journalist at Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR). Journalistic products will also become more personalised and regionalised backed by AI to find important data, conceptualise, write or find the headline of an article. However, Behrend points to the problems with AI-generated images and videos and distinguishing fact from fake. However, Robin Friese, Team Lead Data Science at the Bauer Media Group, believes that generative AI such as GPT and DALL-E will support rather than replace humans. "Just as human feedback is built into the models themselves, it will also be needed to validate and refine automatically generated content." The (partial) automation of individual work steps will make content creation in the publishing sector more efficient in 2024, but it is not yet a real game changer.

Personalised search engines and chatbots are optimising user experience on the web, while AI-driven content creation is increasing the range of content on the internet, said Wiebke Nadzeika, CEO of travel guide provider one Guide. However, this comes at the expense of credibility and raises questions about copyright, Nadzeika points out. Personalised services will raise even more questions about data protection and privacy. "Creative AI applications will enrich digital work in the long term, but at the same time there is a risk of new dependencies and loss of authenticity."

AI will likely boost gaming and extended reality, according to Marie Kilg, freelance journalist and innovation manager at Deutsche Welle Lab. New AI tools would make augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) easier and more accessible. "AI can already create 3D models based on text or make characters in game worlds more dynamic," she pointed out. However, media companies in Germany still pay too little attention to virtual worlds, although they attract many users especially young people, who are the news consumers of tomorrow.

Every single stage of the book publishing value chain will be marked by AI in 2024, Markus Dömer, Head of Business Development at Carlsen Verlag, has predicted. AI should make marketing and sales more efficient because the corresponding tools will be user-friendlier or embedded in existing standard programmes. The trick will be to develop an unmistakable brand identity in communication. Intuitive AI tools will be increasingly integrated into the workflow of authors and illustrators and used to create stories in text and/or images.

"Music has never been as ubiquitous and diverse as it is today," said Agnes Chung, co-founder of Musicube. However, fair legal structures and more transparent data and copyrights are needed to make it worthwhile for artists and creatives and talks must continue. Generative AI will continue to challenge the music industry in 2024. New technologies and improved features will impact how music is created, consumed and discovered - from virtual reality concerts to AI-supported music production or voice recreations. "The traditional approach to music is being challenged, but it also opens up new approaches to music and an opportunity for an equitable and diverse music landscape," Chung has predicted.

Asked about the destination in general, Holger Volland, CEO of Brand Eins Medien AG predicted more widespread generative AI in 2024." Producing synthetic content will become standard and child's play, as it will be part of office and productivity software, tools for digital advertising and social media content. This would make many jobs more efficient. At the same time, the amount of texts, videos, posts, podcasts, images, graphics, presentations, websites and other digital content will grow dramatically. "The battle for attention will become merciless. Everyone will query the authenticity, source reliability or relevance of content frequently," said Volland. Traditional media and their brands will be key points of orientation amid this wave of content.

The globalisation of the creator community, the possible launch of the metaverse away from hype, the uncertain future of the podcast, the future of digital out-of-home advertising as a sustainable industry leader, programmatic TV, hyper-personalisation and the relevance of Tiktok for established, journalistic quality media will also shape media in 2024, according to nextMedia.Hamburg,

mm/sb/pb