BBC DG watched an AI-made Doctor Who episode, says it's a-ok

Brittin’s keynote came after earlier comments at the convention by Prime Video’s International head Kelly Day, who was depressingly upbeat about AI’s function and takeover of everything in our lives. “AI doesn’t replace imagination, it amplifies it,” she said. As for Brittin, he waxed optimistic about the generative technology’s ability to democratize things like Doctor Who, which has historically been made by a select few hoity-toity creatives with talent and ability. “Everyone’s got the ability in their hands—or six billion people have—to create content at the standard of a Hollywood studio,” he said, which, wow, that AI-generated Who episode must have really been something! We’re over here wondering which series it ripped its imagery from.

At any rate, Brittin’s comments, as a self-avowed broadcasting “outsider,” come after he already said out loud in front of people that he’d be open to producing AI-generated programs—just, y’know, “within guardrails.” “I don’t think anything we do should be replaced by AI,” he said to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg. “I think there are lots of places where AI can help us make the licence fee go further but also help us in our decision-making and creativity. But it’s not a substitute for humans.” Indeed, guardrails are top of mind for Brittin, who is overseeing hundreds of compulsory layoffs as the broadcaster prepares to cut 2,000 jobs, per Deadline. “The BBC tech division will embrace AI to reduce costs,” the vertical wrote on Monday.