AI and ML are top of most 2018 trend lists, with the technologies being adopted by many different industries. Indeed, experts forecast these technologies will be incorporated as part of the standard toolkit for broadcasters to transform the process of creating and managing content. BBC Research and Development Senior R&D Engineer Stephen Jolly said the demand for automated intelligence is coming from everywhere. He defined AI as the use of computers to automate tasks that would otherwise have to be completed by humans. ML is a technique under the AI umbrella and notably in the spotlight for its ability to optimise and enhance processes.

When Juan Martin del Potro faced Dominic Thiem on Day 8 of the US Open, die-hard tennis lovers might have been excited, but it didn't have the hallmarks of a "must see" event for casual fans. Few expected del Potro, ranked 24th, to advance. But when he staged one of the best comebacks in US Open history, everyone wanted to see how it was done. And within minutes, they were able to, thanks to IBM Watson powering US Open 2017 highlights. Watson assembled a clip reel within five minutes of the end of every match at this year's Open, making highlights and key moments available to fans two to 10 hours more quickly than during previous years.