BBC Staff Push Back on Brittin's AI Doctor Who Praise
At a Wednesday town hall, staff upvoted questions urging the BBC to rethink its embrace of generative AI after Matt Brittin's remarks on an AI-made Doctor Who episode.
BBC staff raised concerns at a town hall on Wednesday about comments from Matt Brittin in which he praised an AI-generated episode of Doctor Who, according to Deadline.
A staff question asking Brittin to rethink his fascination with AI-generated programmes received 86 upvotes, while another comment calling on the BBC to fully reject generative AI drew more than 30 upvotes.
Brittin said he "got in trouble" for his Doctor Who comments and stressed that human-led creativity would remain at the heart of the BBC's mission.
The exchange follows remarks Brittin made last week at the Royal Television Society London Convention, where he described an AI Doctor Who as "pretty good."
Separately, Deadline reported that producers are bidding to reboot Doctor Who on the BBC as part of a competitive tender process. Jed Mercurio is spearheading a pitch from Hat Trick Mercurio, and STV Studios has bid to move the show to Scotland for Season 17.
Quick answers
What did BBC staff say at the town hall about AI?
Staff raised concerns about Matt Brittin's praise for an AI-generated Doctor Who episode. A question asking him to rethink his fascination with AI-generated programmes received 86 upvotes, and a comment urging the BBC to fully reject generative AI received more than 30 upvotes.
How did Matt Brittin respond?
Brittin said he "got in trouble" for his Doctor Who comments and stressed that human-led creativity would remain at the heart of the BBC's mission.
What were Brittin's original comments about AI and Doctor Who?
At the Royal Television Society London Convention last week, Brittin described an AI Doctor Who as "pretty good."