BBC chief Matt Brittin calls AI-generated Doctor Who episode 'pretty good'
In brief
- BBC director-general Matt Brittin said a 50-minute AI-generated Doctor Who episode he was sent was "pretty good."
- Brittin told the Royal Television Society conference AI is "not going to replace humans."
- Brittin didn't say who made the episode; the BBC declined to comment.
- The BBC dropped a 2024 generative AI marketing trial for Doctor Who after complaints.
What Brittin said
Brittin didn't say who made it. He gave no further details about the episode, including whether the BBC generated it itself or an external party sent it in (the BBC declined to comment to Decrypt).
His broader point was about who gets to create. Speaking at the Royal Television Society conference, Brittin said AI is "not going to replace humans," Variety reported, and argued that everyone is a creator.
"everyone’s a creator. Not all the creativity is bad."
Days before the conference, Brittin told an interviewer he'd consider allowing a BBC programme to be made and presented with AI "within guardrails," according to Decrypt.
That's a notable stance, given how the BBC's last Doctor Who experiment with AI ended.
The 2024 backlash
In 2024, the broadcaster announced it had begun using generative AI to create marketing materials for its flagship shows, starting with Doctor Who. Within weeks, the BBC abandoned those plans, saying it had received complaints and describing the effort as a small trial. Decrypt reported that the attempt ended after a sweeping backlash from the show's audience.
A few months before that, the BBC had set out core principles for generative AI use. It called the technology a significant opportunity and pledged to act in the public interest, prioritise talent and human creativity, and be transparent. It's since launched pilot projects, including an AI-generated synthetic voice for weather reports and image enhancement.
Where the show stands
Doctor Who first aired in 1963. According to Decrypt, the show was put out to tender after going on hiatus following the conclusion of a $220 million deal with Disney.
So Brittin's comments land while one of the BBC's best-known franchises is off the air, and while the broadcaster is still working out how far it's willing to let generative AI into its programming.
Frequently asked questions
What happened the last time the BBC used AI with Doctor Who?
In 2024, the BBC announced it had begun using generative AI to create marketing materials for flagship shows, starting with Doctor Who. Within weeks it abandoned those plans, saying it had received complaints and describing the effort as a small trial.
Who made the AI-generated Doctor Who episode Brittin watched?
Brittin didn't say. He gave no further details, including whether the BBC generated the episode itself or an external party sent it in, and the BBC declined to comment.
