Turning On or Tuning Out? Aiconix Applies AI to See What Holds TV Viewers’ Interest

Why does one video go viral and another lose viewers? News agencies, publishers, and entertainment companies are becoming increasingly methodical about measuring audiences’ engagement. Aiconix, a German startup based in Hamburg, is applying artificial intelligence to ferret out the insights needed to help organizations answer those questions.

Deploying groups of testers in a neurolab in its home city, aiconix uses electroencephlogram technology to measure viewers’ emotions, including surprise or boredom, while watching video clips. It’s developed AI software called aingine based on data that can predict whether certain factors in clips, such as abrupt subject matter shifts or too little connection between a main theme and protagonist’s words, cause viewers to switch off. In addition, the software can identify what roles speakers play in a video, help journalists quickly identify and label subjects in video clips, and automatically produce transcripts with time codes, taking away some of the grunt work of TV production.

Thanks to a reliable and high-performing IT cloud infrastructure from Oracle, aiconix can offer its customers fast, secure performance with the ability to scale. The company, part of the Oracle Global Startup Ecosystem, is using Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, including state-of-the-art graphics processors, to train its AI system. Oracle’s startup program connects promising startups with Oracle’s cloud resources and enterprise expertise.

“We needed a reliable data center in Germany where our aingine could run, scale, and grow with us,” says Eugen Gross, CEO and co-founder of aiconix. “Oracle Cloud Infrastructure provides us with a range of cloud resources and features we need. In addition, being part of the Global Startup Ecosystem gives us the personal support and direct access to customers.”

So far, the company has attracted customers at organizations including a large European press agency and a German news photography agency.

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