About Ayushman Saha
Ayushman Saha serves as Head of Data Value at the Financial Times, where he helps organisation to focus on data initiatives that bring the most value. With extensive experience across data and analytics roles at companies including Dufrain, Mars and O2 (Telefónica UK), he brings a unique perspective on leveraging technology to drive business transformation and revenue growth.
How do you see media organisations' approach to archive management evolving in the coming years?
There are several key factors shaping the future of archive management. Monetisation is paramount – organisations need to carefully consider how to extract value from their archives, whether through articles, documentation, videos, documentaries or podcasts. With such extensive historical content available, we can tailor it to convey specific messaging and create new value streams.
Sustainability is another crucial consideration that everyone is discussing. Since archives require significant storage capacity, implementing environmentally friendly solutions has become essential. Cost efficiency also plays a vital role, particularly when dealing with cloud solutions for global accessibility. While individual storage might seem inexpensive, managing massive archives that need to be constantly available worldwide can quickly become costly.
Artificial intelligence is transforming how we process and utilise archives. When dealing with vast amounts of content, we need efficient processing systems. The key to unlocking archive potential lies in implementing intelligent systems with robust metadata capabilities, enabling swift and accurate search functionality. Having this AI adoption lens is critical for future success.

The key to unlocking archive potential lies in implementing intelligent systems with robust metadata capabilities, enabling swift and accurate search functionality.

What role is AI playing in transforming how the industry manages and monetises content?
AI is revolutionising content management in several ways. We're seeing how AI can generate highly customisable content based on simple prompts, though the quality varies and requires careful consideration. More significantly, large language models can now analyse visual content and generate text that becomes valuable metadata, enabling automatic categorisation and improved archiving capabilities.
One of the most exciting developments is AI's ability to personalise content delivery in real time. For instance, depending on viewer preferences and characteristics, AI can dynamically adjust product placements within scenes. This level of personalisation extends to various aspects of content delivery – from tailoring article summaries for time-poor executives to customising promotional imagery based on user demographics and interests. Even for the same content, different users might see entirely different promotional materials based on their specific characteristics and preferences, much like how streaming platforms adapt their thumbnail images to appeal to different viewer segments.

When dealing with vast amounts of content, we need efficient processing systems that can automatically categorise and improve archiving capabilities through AI-powered metadata generation.
What are the fundamental principles of effective archive management?
The foundation rests on three key principles: speed, ease of use and logical organisation. Think of it like a well-organised library – users should be able to locate specific information efficiently without aimless searching. It's crucial to understand that different users might employ varying search terms based on their background and context.
The system needs to be recommendation-oriented rather than purely speculative. When someone inputs a search query, it should be intelligent enough to recognise adjacent interests and suggest relevant additional content. This creates a more intuitive, suggestive experience that adds real value for users while maximising the archive's potential.
Working with archives requires a sophisticated understanding of how different users approach information seeking. While specific searches tend to be more uniform, generic searches can vary significantly depending on the user's context and experience. The key is creating systems that can bridge these different approaches while maintaining efficiency and logical organisation. This is where technologies like natural language processing and search engine elasticity become crucial, working together with thoughtful user interface design to enhance the overall client experience.
How should organisations balance technology investments with business objectives when modernising their archives?
While many organisations have substantial tech budgets and aspirations to be industry leaders in implementing innovative solutions, the crucial factor is understanding how these investments directly impact business objectives. If an organisation lacks a clear strategy for leveraging their archived information, the investment becomes questionable regardless of how impressive the technology might be.
We need to approach this through a value lens. For example, many organisations have purchased company-wide AI tool licences, representing significant investments, especially when providing access to thousands of employees. However, we often see only 5-10% becoming regular users. This highlights the importance of having a foundational understanding of how new technology will either improve current operations or support strategic initiatives. Without this clarity, these investments risk becoming wasted efforts.

If an organisation lacks a clear strategy for leveraging their archived information, the investment becomes questionable regardless of how impressive the technology might be.

How do you see content monetisation strategies evolving with dynamic content adaptation?
Content monetisation strategies are fundamentally about creating new value from existing resources. Historical content provides invaluable context and understanding of how things evolved at different points in time, which is why we consistently return to reference materials and historical records. The key is finding innovative ways to present this information to modern audiences.
Media organisations should explore multiple avenues for monetisation, including potential collaborations with other organisations and partnerships with media houses where they can combine their respective archives to create entirely new products. There are also opportunities for relationships with companies and different suppliers who might benefit from historical context and insights. The flexibility of digital archives means organisations can shape and mine this content in ways that align with their specific strategic objectives, whether that's creating educational content, developing documentary series, or offering specialised research services.
The success of these initiatives ultimately depends on having clear, measurable KPIs that become the organisation's North Star. When introducing new tools or approaches to content monetisation, the entire organisation needs to understand the purpose and have quantifiable metrics to guide their efforts. This creates alignment between teams and ensures that technological investments deliver meaningful business value.
About Financial Times
The Financial Times is one of the world's leading business news and information organisations, known for its distinctive journalism and digital innovation. Founded in 1888, the FT has successfully transformed into a digital-first news organisation while maintaining its print presence, serving millions of readers globally through its FT.com platform with authoritative coverage of business, finance and economic news.
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