CLOUD COMPUTING
It’ s about inspiring curiosity, advancing education and protecting the planet. AI‐enabled search and editing support the mission in three intertwined ways.
First, AI helps editors locate the ideal archival sequence in minutes, films and digital shorts move from idea to impact far more quickly. Long-buried gems – such as an early expedition reel, a handdrawn map or a rare species sighting – are resurfaced and woven into fresh narratives that rekindle wonder for global audiences. Jason is eager to see what these new tools reveal, even as the heavy lifting begins.
“ We anticipate that moving 15PB of data into this new cloud system will likely take a little over one year to complete and we’ re beginning to migrate all of this data this month,” he explains.“ We’ re excited to work with AWS to explore how this new media platform will transform our abilities to search our archives faster and more efficiently.”
“ Explorers can be out in the field for months”
Jason Southern Chief Technology Officer National Geographic Society
Second, production teams can rapidly assemble accurate, contextrich clips tied to specific topics, places or historical moments to strengthen education.
With AI-assisted transcripts and metadata, it becomes easier to craft clear explainers and classroom-ready edits drawn from authoritative primary sources.
Third, AI advances protection through the conservation stories editors are putting together so viewers can see why protections matter and how science guides action.
“ This initiative is the first step in a multi-year journey where the Society will leverage AWS infrastructure and services to centralise the production and preservation of its media assets,” Jason says.“ Production teams will be able to quickly discover, access and re-use existing media to create impactful stories about the work our Explorers undertake to study our world.”
“ This data primarily consists of highresolution video assets that have been captured during recent explorer field work. Once the assets are safely on the cloud, the Society will leverage AI services to transcribe footage, identify key figures and describe scenes, enriching the asset metadata.”
This will enable production teams to surface specific moments within the archived footage – converting years of material into a rich resource for new narratives that will inspire and educate future generations for years to come.”
92 July 2026