Seven West Media launches Seven AI Factory with Databricks

Seven West Media has announced the establishment of the Seven AI Factory, a new dedicated Generative AI and machine learning team aimed at developing innovative data-driven products across the business.

In partnership with Databricks, a leading cloud, data, and AI company, the AI Factory will aim to improve Seven's digital engagement, audience understanding, and advertising strategies. The primary focus is on the 7plus video streaming platform and the 7NEWS digital platforms.

A dedicated team from Databricks is working out of Seven's Sydney offices alongside teams from Seven's data, digital content and programming, digital marketing, product, and digital sales departments. The collaboration aims to develop AI-driven insights to enhance content relevance, optimise advertising strategies, and drive audience engagement.

The AI Factory includes data scientists, solution architects, machine learning engineers, and data engineers tasked with quickly developing AI-based pilots. The initiative also seeks to upskill Seven's internal teams, embedding GenAI at the core of the business operations.

This development follows the success of Seven's use of AI and machine learning to predict audience outcomes on the 7plus platform. Seven claims to have achieved a 94% accuracy rate in forecasting audience numbers for shows and genres over a 28-day period. Building on these insights, the company is now intensifying its efforts alongside Databricks.

Gereurd Roberts, Managing Director of Seven Digital, highlighted the significance of this collaboration. "As we place data, insights, and AI at the heart of our operations, our collaboration with Databricks in the AI Factory marks a significant milestone in the digital transformation of our business," he said.

Roberts added, "By leveraging GenAI and machine learning, we are not only enhancing our ability to predict and understand audience behaviours, we are revolutionising the way we acquire, personalise, and deliver content and engaging advertising campaigns to our viewers. Through the launch of the AI Factory, we will upskill and build out our own teams, ensuring these capabilities and products are in-house and at the forefront of Seven's future, and also our partners' future. We are excited to engage with our clients and agencies to co-create products that drive the most effective outcomes for their businesses and brands."

Also commenting on the development, Seven's Director of Data and Growth, Andrew Brain, outlined the company's ongoing commitment to innovation. "Our commitment to innovation is further exemplified by the development of a natural language-powered query engine," he stated. "This groundbreaking tool will empower all business units and non-technical users to query Seven’s extensive data repository, providing real-time insights to drive strategic decision-making and operational excellence. Simply put, we're democratising data to create new insights across the Seven business."

Brain also noted the scope of the company-wide GenAI solution currently in progress. Aimed at improving user engagement and advertising experiences, the solution is designed to predict which shows will be most viewed at different times of the day, enhance revenue forecasting, and deliver personalised ad experiences. "These initiatives are a testament to our unwavering commitment to being data-driven and leveraging cutting-edge technologies to stay ahead in the digital landscape," he said, adding that a predictive version of 7REDiQ audiences mapped against data partners will be released soon.