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Opinion | Are Hong Kong’s tech hubs ready to crown content technology the new queen?
- From artificial-intelligence-assisted scriptwriting to viewer analytics and big data, technology is revolutionising the creation of quality content
- The Science Park and Cyberport must step up to promote this trend, particularly in the city’s creative industries
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Why you can trust SCMP
As in previous years, innovation and technology has received substantial attention in the government’s budget, with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park and Cyberport the dual protagonists of this chapter.
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What should the strategies be in the coming year for the city’s largest and wealthiest tech hubs? After a year of stay-at-home activities and modified lifestyles, there are new industries to look out for.
In 2014, BuzzFeed’s Jonathan Perelman captured the zeitgeist of the mass media when he declared, “Content is king, but distribution is queen”. In today’s changed times, we suggest a new queen – “content technology”.
In an era of data-informed entertainment, the technology behind the scenes has become the backbone of creating quality content. One example is Netflix, which decides what to recommend that you watch next. From artificial-intelligence-assisted scriptwriting to viewer analytics and big data, content technology is the revolutionary force that helps creators make more informed choices, driving more customised experiences for viewers.
Major tech giants around the world have already invested heavily in content technology. Netflix has its own centre dedicated to content technology research and development across areas such as machine learning, analytics, and video and audio encoding. China’s Tencent has also built an AI lab to enhance content technology in its products, from games to AI-generated music. A recent example is their creation of AI virtual singer-songwriter “Ai Ling”.
Content technology is where discussions of “art tech”, which popped up in the 2020 policy address and again in last week’s budget, should be heading. Just imagine the new heights the city’s media and entertainment industries could scale if we considered content technology in the same light.
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