Generating or acquiring high quality video is expensive. In our last blog post, we looked at why and how investing in video analysis leads to a strong content strategy, and discussed its importance for digital publishers when generating good ROIs on video.

Using Artificial Intelligence increases the quality, ability and sophistication of your video analysis. Furthermore, Artificial Intelligence can also be used to make decisions and execute in different ways, depending on what is needed, resulting in an even stronger content strategy and increased video profitability.

Intelligent, or “smart” analysis uses Artificial Intelligence (AI). The idea is to use machine learning and deep learning methods to train a computer to think the way a person can, literally mimicking human intelligence. Some examples of AI include machine vision, where a computer is able to “see”; pattern recognition; natural language processing (NLP), where a computer is able to understand human language; and audio recognition, the ability to convert sound to text.

What’s the point? The use of AI offers a range of different benefits. Once trained effectively, computers are able to recognise patterns that may not be identifiable by the human eye, and can function at a much larger scale. Furthermore, end-to-end processes can be fully automated – an AI could observe a certain pattern or situation and then make a series of decisions based on what it has observed. By using AI-based algorithms, you’re likely to save time, money and end up with a better result than you would have had you done the same job manually.

Got it, so tell me about intelligent video analysis

Smart/intelligent video analysis involves training an algorithm – or in most cases, a set of algorithms – to understand what’s happening inside a video. The computer can analyse all the different parts of the video (as outlined in our earlier blog post: content, sound, etc), and then make further decisions, depending on what outcome is needed. 

Video analysis is and should be used by website publishers who are looking to optimize their content strategy, as well as increase video views and boost engagement on their sites. But it also has wide usage across multiple industries. For example, it’s often used in simulation-based training, like for surgery: a computer can identify situations where a surgeon has performed something incorrectly, and advise on what needs to be done differently. Likewise for coaching sports teams. Alternatively, in an autonomous vehicle, AI will use video analysis (in real-time!) in order to identify a potential collision or an obstacle in the road, say a pedestrian – and brake, with no driver intervention.