RTL Deutschland’s tech division RTL Technology has developed and is hosting the new high-performance server infrastructure, designed to support ‘Sidekicks’, an agent-based AI platform developed to bring intelligent automation to media workflows. Created by Smartclip and its subsidiary Realytics, ‘Sidekicks’ integrates AI agents directly into day-to-day processes, enabling scalable and efficient innovation.

With this new infrastructure, RTL Deutschland creates a fully AI-ready environment within its tech division, powered by a standalone high-performance server cluster. Designed for speed and security, it includes advanced cooling and secure, isolated connections to ensure smooth and protected operations.

By hosting ‘Sidekicks’ on this internal system, Smartclip guarantees that development and deployment meet top standards for data privacy, reliability and scalability – without relying on external cloud providers.

“The establishment of a dedicated AI server infrastructure for ‘Sidekicks’ underscores RTL Deutschland’s commitment to fostering innovation in this field while maintaining the operational integrity of systems and data,” says Frank Penning, Chief Information Officer at RTL Deutschland and Managing Director of RTL Technology. “The isolated cluster provides us with both the computing power and the security we need to advance agent-based AI in practice.”

This collaboration showcases the strength of RTL Group’s internal partnerships, with RTL Deutschland and Smartclip combining their expertise to drive AI innovation on a shared tech foundation. The custom infrastructure not only supports today’s agent-based workflows but also builds confidence in future AI developments, ensuring that sensitive data stays securely within the RTL ecosystem.