■Promotion of the use of AI technologies

  In FY 2016, we aggregated our research outcomes of AI technologies for over 30 years and established Smart Production Lab in NHK STRL as a base for promoting a working-style reform by efficient program production and accelerating the practical application of our research results for user-friendly broadcasting. The laboratory has been actively releasing information through domestic and international events.
  In FY 2018, we reinforced the development structure of the laboratory to swiftly respond to requests from NHK broadcast stations across the nation including regional stations for using AI-related technologies and supported the development of various technologies, such as an automatic transcription system using speech recognition technology, trial live closed-captioning for regional stations and an AI announcer using speech synthesis technology, for practical use.
  To promote the extensive practical use of AI technologies, we launched a smart production project participated by diverse program production-related departments. We also held an event hosted by this project in February with the aim of matching program producers' needs for AI utilization with technologies developed by NHK STRL and achieved beneficial results such as the identification of new opportunities for practical application (Figure 4-7).

Figure 4-7. Event hosted by the smart production project