RTL Deutschland has established a dedicated AI infrastructure to support Sidekicks, a new agentic AI platform developed by its adtech subsidiary smartclip.
The move marks a major step in the broadcaster’s strategy to expand its in-house technology capabilities and ensure secure, scalable use of artificial intelligence within its operations.
Hosted by RTL Technology, the infrastructure provides a fully AI-capable environment on an isolated high-performance cluster. It features enhanced cooling and secure, segregated network connections to deliver maximum performance and data protection. By running Sidekicks on this self-contained system, RTL Deutschland avoids reliance on external cloud services while ensuring compliance with strict European data-protection standards.
“Building a dedicated AI infrastructure for Sidekicks reflects RTL Deutschland’s commitment to enabling innovation in this category while safeguarding the operational and informational integrity of our business,” said Frank Penning, CIO at RTL Deutschland and Managing Director of RTL Technology. “The isolated cluster gives us both the computational power and the protection required to advance agentic AI in practice.”
Developed specifically for the media and advertising ecosystem, Sidekicks integrates AI agents directly into operational workflows, combining media intelligence with process automation. The platform is designed to support scalable and efficient innovation across RTL Deutschland’s media portfolio and partner ecosystem.
The initiative also highlights synergies within RTL Group, with smartclip and RTL Deutschland working closely together on a shared technological foundation. According to the company, the new infrastructure not only supports today’s agentic workflows but also establishes a trusted environment for future AI applications, ensuring that proprietary data remains securely managed within the group.
