<\/p>\n
\n\tWhen it comes to deploying daunting new technologies like AI, leaders in media, sports and entertainment shouldn\u2019t be afraid to do hard things.<\/p>\n
\n\tThat was a key takeaway from the Variety<\/em> \u201cStrictly Business\u201d Podcast Live presented by AWS<\/a> & Deloitte<\/a>, held this week at Cannes Lions<\/a> (under a blazing-hot sun!). The special recording of \u201cStrictly Business\u201d was joined by Deloitte\u2019s Michelle McGuire, principal, chief data and AI officer, Olympic and Paralympic partnerships; Ruba Borno, VP, AWS Specialists, Partners and AWS Marketplace; and Pete Wood, executive VP of consumer platforms and services at Sony Pictures Entertainment.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI would say don\u2019t be scared of AI and the technology, right?\u201d said McGuire. \u201cStart to upskill your folks so they engage with it, they understand it, they\u2019re getting their hands dirty and using it.\u201d Her advice is for companies to \u201cstart tackling hard problems\u201d \u2014 so they can not only see the benefits of optimizing existing processes, but start to apply AI to do things that weren\u2019t possible before.<\/p>\n \n\tWatch the full video:<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tBorno made this point: \u201cIf you tackle a difficult problem versus [using AI to go after] low-hanging fruit, it solves your figuring out your data foundation.\u201d She said that once an organization has the underlying infrastructure like security and governance in place, and its leaders have figured out their change management processes, \u201cthen the rest becomes a lot easier.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAnd whereas the shift to cloud services was a \u201cvery much bottoms-up transition,\u201d implementing AI across an organization requires a \u201ctop-down push\u201d because the biggest wins come from rethinking workflows on an end-to-end basis.<\/p>\n \n\tSony Pictures\u2019 Wood framed the AI discussion in the context of Hollywood\u2019s transition from DVDs to streaming distribution. \u201cThe internet enabled us to actually find better ways to engage consumers,\u201d he said. \u201cAI is just another way of enabling better workflows and efficiencies through the process. What it absolutely does not do: It doesn\u2019t replace what the creators are doing, which is creating amazing, compelling content around our brand\u2019s IP and our franchises. And so we\u2019re really clear about how it\u2019s used and when it\u2019s used and we are a human-led company.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAccording to McGuire, based on Deloitte\u2019s research about how AI is impacting enterprises, \u201cwhat we\u2019ve arrived at is AI is not going to the replace the humans. It has to be machines and humans working together in harmony to really deliver impact.\u201d The promise is to be able to engage sports and entertainment fans \u201cin a way that historically wasn\u2019t possible because the technology wasn\u2019t there.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe potential upside in using AI across an enterprise is tremendous, McGuire said. For example, currently only 14% of companies have a unified profile of their customers. \u201cThink about the possibility there that companies can unlock in targeting their customer,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd by the way, consumers want things that are relevant to them.\u201d Deloitte research shows that 82% of consumers prefer personalized experiences, whether that\u2019s advertising or video content.<\/p>\n \n\tA specific area of opportunity for Sony Pictures is letting viewers find something they want to watch a lot faster, Wood said. The average consumer spends 10-12 minutes every night trying to decide what to watch. And \u201cthe scary statistic is actually one in five consumers actually gives up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \n\tAWS\u2019s Borno offered a sports analogy for AI innovation. When wooden tennis rackets were replaced by titanium models and when steel poles were replaced with fiberglass ones in pole vaulting, the level of performance in each of those sports soared to new levels. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cYou don\u2019t sit there and say that the tennis racket is now the tennis player. You don\u2019t say the pole vault is the pole vaulter,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not replacing the human. It superpowered the human who was using it and then they were able to compete. And then the interesting thing is, if you\u2019re not using those new tools, you really actually can\u2019t compete anymore\u2026 It sets a new standard.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe event took place on\u00a0IRCODE<\/a>\u2019s yacht (as one does in Cannes) docked near the Palais convention center.<\/p>\n