Challenge

ITN needed a robust solution to protect its extensive archive, representing 70 years of history and substantial value, from the growing threat of synthetic content corruption. They were also looking for a solution to secure its usability for AI model training, opening new revenue streams.

ITN needed to protect their archives from growing threats

ITN’s archive represents 70 years of British history, featuring over a million video clips dating back to their first broadcasts in 1955. It covers global news, cultural moments, political broadcasts, interviews, and entertainment.

Archives like these are vulnerable to external threats, whether that be tampering in an attempt to re-write history, or the need to defend its authenticity as provably-human, quality media in the context of AI-generated synthetic media polluting the internet.

ITN were looking for a way to permanently safeguard their archives, protecting them from the risks of a future media landscape dominated by synthetic content, which is why they decided to partner with us.

Furthermore, their archives are growing in value as AI companies seek non-synthetic content to train their models on, and they wanted to begin to leverage this new revenue stream.

OpenOrigins’ Archive Anchoring technology protected ITN’s most valuable asset

OpenOrigins implemented a comprehensive archive anchoring solution to safeguard ITN's historical media. Key steps included:

• Data Verification: Media items were thoroughly validated to confirm their authenticity and integrity.

• Archive Anchoring: Each piece of verified content was anchored into a tamper-proof blockchain. The blockchain acts as an immutable record, where information about the archive is protected in perpetuity, without OpenOrigins needing to host or store any of the actual media.

• Continuous Monitoring and Updates: Regular checks and updates to ensure the security measures remain a watertight defence against evolving synthetic content threats.

  
  

This implementation helped to reinforce ITN’s status as a guardian of trustworthy content

As a result of this partnership, ITN are able to confidently leverage the trustworthiness of their archives to reassure viewers and media buyers. They are also able to license their data to AI companies by proving its value as authentic, non-synthetic training material, giving them access to a huge and growing market.

• 2,000,000 Gigabytes of Data Verified: Ensuring all data within the archive was free from synthetic alterations

• 77,000 Hours of Video Content Secured: Protecting the integrity and value of ITN's archives indefinitely

• Access Enabled to Growing New Market: Positioning ITN to tap into the growing AI training data market and ensuring economic viability

  
  

Testimonial

“The ITN archive is a unique repository of Britain’s cultural history over 70 years and we are excited to be using new technology to protect this valuable asset. As the information ecosystem becomes increasingly polluted with synthetic material, news organisations will have to work hard to retain audience trust. Partnering with Open Origins allows ITN to reassure its viewers and clients by ringfencing the archive from future threats”
- Tami Hoffman, Director of News Distribution and Commercial Innovation, ITN