The National Geographic Society has announced a partnership with Amazon Web Services to centralise its archival assets. The initiative is intended to support the preservation of the organisation’s 138-year history by migrating nearly 15 petabytes of content, including deep-sea footage and archaeological records, to a media platform hosted on the AWS Cloud.
The collaboration is designed to consolidate the Society’s multi-source archives into a single system on AWS, creating a centralised repository where assets can be preserved and accessed by production teams. The platform is intended to make billions of assets available in real time.
The Society currently produces approximately two petabytes of new video content each year, equivalent to around 100 days of 4K footage. Content is generated through programmes such as the Impact Story Lab, National Geographic Pristine Seas, and other initiatives. The use of AWS infrastructure forms part of a multi-year approach to managing and preserving media assets.
The media platform incorporates Amazon Bedrock and other AWS services, and includes the following components:
- Centralised Digital Core: The consolidation of archival assets into a single AWS-based system, creating a repository of science and exploration materials, including historic maps and photography.
- AI-Powered Discovery: The use of AWS generative AI to support transcription, metadata creation, and identification of elements within archived content, enabling more efficient search and retrieval.
- Modernised Storytelling: Tools that enable teams to collaborate on video editing and asset management in real time, reducing the time required to move content from production to publication.
The system is intended to support access to archived content and assist production teams in developing new materials based on existing assets.
The National Geographic Society continues to document locations and environments around the world, from ocean environments to mountainous regions. The collaboration with AWS is intended to support the organisation’s ongoing management and use of its archival content.
The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organisation focused on science, exploration, education, and storytelling, with content and programmes reaching audiences worldwide.
