Harnessing AI to Serve Creators and Customers

{
  "id": "PP1150886",
  "track": "Tech & AI",
  "focus_area": null,
  "category": "Fireside Chat",
  "event_id": "PP1150886",
  "event_type": "panel",
  "format": "Panel",
  "genre": null,
  "subgenre": null,
  "name": "Harnessing AI to Serve Creators and Customers",
  "presented_by": null,
  "publish_at": "2026-02-27T15:35:00.000-06:00",
  "reservable": false,
  "reservable_id": "PP1150886",
  "reserved": false,
  "date": "2026-03-16",
  "end_time": "2026-03-16T11:00:00.000-05:00",
  "start_time": "2026-03-16T10:00:00.000-05:00",
  "message": null,
  "image": null,
  "credentials": [
    {
      "name": "Platinum Badge",
      "type": "platinum"
    },
    {
      "name": "Innovation Badge",
      "type": "innovation"
    }
  ],
  "contributors": [
    {
      "id": 48316,
      "company": "Axios",
      "credential_types": [
        "filmtv",
        "innovation",
        "music"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2203881,
      "name": "Eleanor Hawkins",
      "speaker_types": [
        "Speaker"
      ],
      "title": "Reporter",
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Eleanor Hawkins",
        "credit": "",
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/oLsnjtcHA7ESdVFRIbMdtKjMBoc=/69x17:1227x1175/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/b9c1fa91-b1e5-4908-91e4-05ca9f211d72/pcid-1292074"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Speaker",
      "details": "Eleanor Hawkins is a communications strategist and writer at Axios. She authors Axios Communicators —  a weekly newsletter that examines how leaders, businesses, brands and employers communicate — and runs Mixing Board powered by Axios, a membership organization with over 1,000 of the top communications, marketing and corporate affairs professionals. ",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": 105725,
      "company": "Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios",
      "credential_types": [
        "innovation"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2276693,
      "name": "Raf Soltanovich",
      "speaker_types": [
        "Speaker"
      ],
      "title": "VP, Technology",
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Raf Soltanovich",
        "credit": null,
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/mIfxzvKhTWAMQlRjb5c2rdAgEwY=/203x12:456x265/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/548b9134-6805-47b6-b9a7-1d7585c7b6ff/pcid-1655123"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Speaker",
      "details": "Raf Soltanovich is a Vice President, Technology at Amazon Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. As a global head of studio technology, he leads engineering, AI, product and operations that drive innovation in storytelling and content distribution. Raf’s teams are powering largest premium video selection in the industry and enabling Prime Video customers to enjoy VOD, Channels and Linear offerings in over 200 countries while continuing to push the boundaries in production technology, media understanding and enrichment, content partner experience, localization, and accessibility.\r\rPrior to joining Amazon in 2020, Raf served as Vice President of Software Development at Hulu where he oversaw their technology organization. Raf played a critical role in Hulu’s Live TV launch and the rollout of the industry first premium subscription including Hulu and Disney+. Raf has a BS from UCLA where he studied Computer Science and Financial Economics. He is a long time Los Angeles resident where he resides with his wife, two sons and a family goldendoodle.\r",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": 103542,
      "company": "Amazon MGM Studios",
      "credential_types": [
        "innovation"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2272172,
      "name": "Albert Cheng",
      "speaker_types": [
        "Speaker"
      ],
      "title": "Vice President, Head Of AI Studios",
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Albert Cheng",
        "credit": "",
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/8tap9qFSGNGvbTzWFgAlnfA0St4=/11x145:1531x1665/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/6a66ffe5-85ca-47f9-a1dd-6f396fea930f/pcid-1654650"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Speaker",
      "details": "Albert Cheng is Vice President, Head of AI Studios for Amazon MGM Studios. He leads the global strategy to integrate AI across the creative and production lifecycle at Amazon MGM Studios—advancing how stories are developed, produced, and experienced. He oversees a cross-disciplinary organization of creatives, technologists, and production experts focused on building tools and workflows that enhance creativity, efficiency, and scale across animated and live-action content.\r\rCheng joined Amazon in 2015 as Chief Operating Officer at Amazon Studios, later serving as Co-Head of Television and, most recently, as Vice President and Head of Prime Video U.S. & Global. In that capacity, he was responsible for the U.S. business P&L and revenue growth, as well as programming strategy, marketing, brand, research, licensing, and distribution. Under his leadership, Prime Video expanded its reach across subscription, ad-supported, transactional, and live offerings, while driving partnerships with major content providers to make Prime Video a premier entertainment destination worldwide.\r\rPrior to Amazon, Cheng spent 15 years at The Walt Disney Company, where he was Executive Vice President of Digital Media and Chief Product Officer for Disney/ABC Television Group. His teams pioneered many of the industry’s firsts in digital distribution—from making TV episodes available on iTunes in 2005 and launching the first network streaming service in 2006, to debuting HD streaming, the first iPad app for a TV network, and live broadcast network streaming. These innovations earned four Primetime Emmy Awards and established Disney/ABC as a digital leader in the early era of streaming television.\r\rEarlier in his career, Cheng held executive positions at Fox and served as a strategy consultant with The Boston Consulting Group. He has also served on the boards of BMI and Lifetime. Cheng holds a bachelor’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from Harvard Business School.",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    }
  ],
  "venue": {
    "accessible": false,
    "age_policy": null,
    "floor": "3",
    "id": "V0454",
    "indoor_outdoor": "INDOOR",
    "mixhalo_url": "https://translate.mixhalo.rocks/430?venue_id=430&partner=true",
    "name": "Salon D",
    "parent_id": "V0403",
    "parent_venue_name": "JW Marriott",
    "venue_entry_info": null,
    "formats": null,
    "location": {
      "address": "110 E 2nd St.",
      "lat_lon": [
        30.2645713,
        -97.743198
      ],
      "city": "Austin",
      "postal_code": "78701",
      "state": "TX",
      "name": "JW Marriott"
    },
    "root": {
      "id": "V0403",
      "name": "JW Marriott",
      "mixhalo_url": null
    },
    "events": "[omitted 5 venue events]"
  },
  "description": "At Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video, AI is giving filmmakers, writers, and designers tools to move faster, think bigger, and take creative risks. We'll pull back the curtain on how AI is pushing the boundaries of what's achievable — and the story doesn't stop at production. Prime Video is harnessing AI to bring content to more people: localizing stories across languages and cultures, and enhancing the viewing experience so audiences connect more deeply with the content they love. This session will focus on what it means to build AI responsibly, with human creativity as the north star.",
  "experience_level": "Beginner",
  "audio_url": null,
  "accessibility": [],
  "accessible_venue": false,
  "add_bcl_url": false,
  "add_slido": false,
  "after_midnight": null,
  "age_policy": null,
  "american_sign_language": false,
  "apple_url": null,
  "audio_description": false,
  "caption_url": null,
  "captioned_qa": false,
  "closed_captioned": false,
  "cpe_credit": false,
  "event_status": "none",
  "has_subtitles": false,
  "hash_tags": [],
  "high_sensory_experience": false,
  "live": false,
  "long_description": "At Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video, AI is giving filmmakers, writers, and designers tools to move faster, think bigger, and take creative risks. We'll pull back the curtain on how AI is pushing the boundaries of what's achievable — and the story doesn't stop at production. Prime Video is harnessing AI to bring content to more people: localizing stories across languages and cultures, and enhancing the viewing experience so audiences connect more deeply with the content they love. This session will focus on what it means to build AI responsibly, with human creativity as the north star.",
  "meeting_url": null,
  "meeting_url_live": false,
  "mentorly_url": null,
  "mobile_audio_url": null,
  "open_captioned": false,
  "playlist_tag": null,
  "rebroadcast": false,
  "recommended_ids": [],
  "search_conversions": null,
  "short_program": false,
  "slido_url": null,
  "sort": "HARNESSING AI TO SERVE CREATORS AND CUSTOMERS",
  "source": "Official",
  "squad_up_url": null,
  "stream_embed": null,
  "stream_id": null,
  "stream_url": null,
  "strobe_warning": false,
  "subdiscipline": null,
  "summit": null,
  "summit_display_name": null,
  "tags": [
    {
      "id": 2576,
      "name": "Recently Added",
      "created_at": "2026-02-26T12:08:59.538-06:00",
      "updated_at": "2026-02-26T12:08:59.538-06:00",
      "sort": "RECENTLY ADDED",
      "alpha": "R"
    },
    {
      "id": 950,
      "name": "Storytelling",
      "created_at": "2016-11-04T11:43:51.305-05:00",
      "updated_at": "2024-02-05T16:58:21.488-06:00",
      "sort": "STORYTELLING",
      "alpha": "S"
    },
    {
      "id": 2114,
      "name": "Ai",
      "created_at": "2020-01-17T14:51:44.091-06:00",
      "updated_at": "2026-02-18T15:48:17.273-06:00",
      "sort": "AI",
      "alpha": "A"
    }
  ],
  "talent_attending": null,
  "title_only": false,
  "track_display_name": "Tech & AI track sponsored by IBM",
  "trailer_id": null,
  "trailer_url": null,
  "video_on_demand": null,
  "vimeo_id": null,
  "vod": false,
  "xr_project_type": null,
  "youtube_id": null,
  "related_events": [],
  "related_sales_client": null
}