Curating content for passengers, not Algorithms

AI with a Human Touch: Curating content for passengers, not algorithms

As an entertainment company working at the intersection of storytelling and technology, we serve as the vital conduit between all parties, including the passengers who enjoy the content at 35,000 feet or on the high seas. We represent the studios. The distributors. The storytellers. The providers and the passengers. Our mission isn’t just to move media but to respect it, curate it, and prepare it for global audiences in ways that resonate across cultures, languages, and formats. That’s why, as we look to incorporate AI into all aspects of our business, we are taking it one step at a time.

Artificial intelligence isn’t new. But what is new is the rapid evolution and democratization of the technology. It’s everywhere, packaged into enterprise tools, cloud platforms, and even the browsers we use. With such widespread availability, it’s tempting to chase scale and speed. But we believe our commitment, both to our clients and to the content we steward, demands more deliberation. So while we recognize AI’s immense potential, we believe its adoption and integration, both within our business and in the workflows of our customers, should be thoughtful and purposeful.

We want to be clear: we’re not looking to replace human involvement. Quite the opposite. We believe only people know people, and that’s a critical principle in the domain of content curation, localization, and adaptation. AI can assist with first passes, summarization, metadata enrichment, and even draft translations. But knowing when a line doesn’t land right or when a literal translation misses the emotional point, that effort requires human judgment.

That belief was echoed in a recent industry poll conducted by our VP of Lab Services, Shafin Virji. He posed a question on LinkedIn to take the industry’s temperature on how much trust professionals would place in an AI-only subtitle and translation workflow. The overwhelming takeaway was clear: AI has value, but not without human oversight.

Subtitles, captions, and dubs are not just technical tasks. They’re creative interpretations. They require cultural fluency, emotional intelligence, and, at times, ethical discretion. Localization is about conveying stories faithfully, not just converting language.

Whether it’s the aviation or maritime industries, ‘close enough’ doesn’t cut it. We’re not publishing casual YouTube videos. We’re distributing content to global, diverse audiences of people who have paid our clients for their travel, with the expectation of access to high-quality entertainment along the journey. Families. Children. People for whom content is part of the travel experience.

Eric Silverstein, our VP of Operations and Technology, recently told Inflight Magazine about how West is combining AI tools with our global team’s deep knowledge of local regulations and cultural sensitivities. While automation helps flag potential issues, he emphasized that context and empathy remain essential. That’s why he believes a hybrid approach using technology to scale and assist, while ensuring that final decisions are shaped by local expertise and thoughtful review, is the balance we need right now.

“While artificial intelligence has huge potential in streamlining and enriching content curation, it must be guided by human insight, especially when it comes to cultural nuance and censorship.”
— Eric Silverstein, VP Operations and Technology, West Entertainment

With so many AI solutions on the market right now, it’s tempting to rush in, especially when they can get you quickly and convincingly close to your preferred outcome. But one poorly phrased line or a misinterpreted joke can undermine a viewer’s trust in the entire experience. And that reflects not just on us, but on the studios, the distributors, and the transport brands that rely on us to deliver a polished, culturally sensitive entertainment experience.

We understand the commercial pressures our airline and cruise partners face. Tighter margins, higher expectations, and the constant mandate to do more with less. AI can absolutely help shoulder some of that burden, but not all. Cutting corners and bypassing human review doesn’t solve the problem; it simply defers it. Any efficiency savings today could be offset by reputational damage or costly rework tomorrow.

That’s why we see AI not as a replacement, but as a tool, a resource that can improve productivity and help scale operations more efficiently. It can help us meet tighter timelines, explore more localization options, and manage metadata with greater accuracy. But it still needs guardrails. It still needs people who know how to ask the right questions, catch the outliers, and smooth the rough edges.

Left unchecked, AI can become dangerous. Biases and hallucinations can seep in unnoticed. Without human review, AI risks turning content into meaningless, mechanical approximations of a story. That’s not acceptable in our line of work. Because we’re not just pushing files through a pipeline, we’re curating experiences and upholding trust. And when something is off, even by a single word, the ripple effect can damage reputations and diminish passenger engagement.

So no, we’re not ready to go “all in” on AI. And based on Shafin’s poll, neither is the industry. AI can draft, but people finish. And that’s exactly how it should be.

This isn’t about resisting change. It’s about using new tools wisely, with care and with accountability. That’s how we protect the content. That’s how we honor the stories. And that’s how we make sure they still hit home, no matter where or how they’re viewed.