With an eye on the close of 2025 and the immediate horizon of 2026, we have consulted diverse industry leaders who have collaborated with the magazine throughout the year, inviting them to share a reflection, based on their experience, on the year coming to an end and the one ahead. Drawing on their testimonies, we take stock of the year and anticipate the key factors that will shape the evolution of the broadcast industry

*This content is included in the December issue of TM BROADCAST. You can access the full magazine here.

By Daniel Esparza

The broadcast industry continues to move forward amid a complex process of transformation, in which new opportunities are emerging alongside significant challenges. This is one of the key conclusions of 2025. The transition is now unavoidable. However, when it comes to putting it into practice, difficulties arise that go beyond purely technological considerations and force the industry to rethink its models, structures and priorities.

To take the pulse of this pivotal moment, we have consulted a selection of industry leaders who have collaborated with the magazine over the past year, asking them for a review of 2025, a look ahead to 2026, and a broader reflection on the levers that will drive the sector’s growth in the medium and long term.

From this analysis, several common vectors emerge: the steady advance of the transition to IP; the progressive convergence of the broadcast, IT and ProAV worlds; growing challenges related to talent and cybersecurity; and, cutting across all of them, the impact of artificial intelligence.

We have divided this special feature —which can be read in full in the latest issue of TM BROADCAST— into seven sections. In this article, we outline the key takeaways from the chapter dedicated to Artificial Intelligence.

Jon Wilson (Grass Valley): “The leaders next year will be those who integrate AI with intention while augmenting people, not replacing them”

The debate surrounding artificial intelligence has entered a new phase. Its presence in the audiovisual industry is no longer in question, and the focus is now shifting towards its real impact, practical implications, regulatory frameworks and the ethical considerations associated with its use. These issues go beyond the purely technological, moving the discussion from what can be done to what should be done. In this context, 2026 is shaping up as a key year for separating the technology’s true potential from the noise generated by hype.

This is how Jon Wilson, CEO of Grass Valley, sees it, anticipating that next year’s major debate will revolve around the transition from experimentation to enterprise-scale integration of AI within live production workflows.

From his perspective, AI is already being progressively integrated into areas such as asset management, metadata enrichment, shot selection and visual enhancement. However, he warns that the real challenge will be bringing that intelligence into environments with smaller teams and dynamic budgets, without compromising quality.

Simen K. Frostad (Bridge Technologies): “We are entering the stage where the promise of efficiency has to be measured against issues of trust, integrity and creative responsibility”

In this scenario, Jon Wilson stresses that the opportunity is clear, provided the technology is used with intent: “AI can remove friction, accelerate storytelling, and make high-production experiences accessible to more organizations than ever before. The leaders next year will be those who integrate AI with intention while augmenting people, not replacing them.”

A more cautious view is offered by Jan Eveleens, CEO of Riedel Product Division, who believes that for now, artificial intelligence remains in many cases more of a promise than a fully consolidated reality, although he anticipates a near-term inflection point. “Artificial intelligence is also a frequent topic, but for now it remains mostly hype and is often used as a marketing buzzword. (…) We will probably see more meaningful AI applications that deliver real value and make commercial sense.”

Along the same lines, Simen K. Frostad, Chairman of Bridge Technologies, agrees that the question of whether AI will enter the sector has already been settled, and points to 2026 as the year when the focus must shift to how it should be applied: “Our real hope is that the AI conversation will move on to something a little more substantial.”

As a result, factors such as ethics, transparency, authorship and impact on the workforce are beginning to take centre stage in the debate, particularly in critical areas such as monitoring and quality control: “We are entering the stage where excitement gives way to scrutiny, and where the promise of efficiency has to be measured against issues of trust, integrity and creative responsibility. The decisive question is no longer ‘can we?’ but ‘should we — and to what end?’”

Jan Eveleens (Riedel): “We will probably see more meaningful AI applications that deliver real value and make commercial sense”

For Scott Stiefel, CEO of Telos Alliance, artificial intelligence will remain one of the major buzzwords of the coming year, given the breadth of its impact across the industry. However, Stiefel introduces an important nuance by distinguishing between generative AI and agentic AI, pointing to the latter as having the most immediate potential impact in terms of efficiency and profitability: “By automating mundane yet time-consuming tasks, improving and simplifying QA, and improving overall performance of the broadcast chain, AI/ML has the potential to save millions for some broadcasters at a time when many are suffering from high costs and fierce competition.”

Scott Stiefel (Telos Alliance): “AI/ML has the potential to save millions for some broadcasters at a time when many are suffering from high costs and fierce competition”

From a public service perspective, Ubaldo Toni, CTO of Italy’s RAI, stresses that the proper use of artificial intelligence goes far beyond purely technological considerations: “The proper use of AI in the media world is an immensely important issue covering many facets (ethical, industrial, informational), and it requires personnel who are fully conscious of both the potential and the risks.”

A similar reflection is offered by Morten Brandstrup, Head of Newstechnology at TV 2 Denmark, who identifies the past year as one marked by a surge of hype around AI-driven content creation, albeit with many unresolved questions: “We need to see this potential proven, particularly in production and for live content.”

Morten Brandstrup (TV 2): “As these technologies continue to evolve, it will be crucial for us to navigate the balance between innovation and responsibility”

Looking ahead to 2026, Brandstrup anticipates that the debate will increasingly shift towards regulation and ethical implications: “As these technologies continue to evolve, it will be crucial for us to navigate the balance between innovation and responsibility.”

Ultimately, 2026 will be the year in which the industry begins to measure the real scope of artificial intelligence with greater precision. Are we facing a genuine game changer, or a technology inflated by expectations? For Adde Granberg, Head of Innovation at Sweden’s SVT, both realities will coexist: “For 2026, the primary topic will undoubtedly revolve around the impact of AI in our industry. Is it all hype, or is it a genuine game-changer? We will see both disruption and consolidation as AI continues to evolve and integrate into our workflows.”

Adde Granberg (SVT): “Is it all hype, or is it a genuine game-changer? We will see both disruption and consolidation as AI continues to evolve and integrate into our workflows”