BBC Director-General Deems AI-Generated Doctor Who Episode 'Pretty Good'

In brief

• BBC director-general Matt Brittin has reviewed a 50-minute AI-generated "Doctor Who" episode, describing it as “pretty good.”
• Brittin added that AI is “not going to replace humans.”
• The BBC previously abandoned plans to use generative AI to create marketing materials for the show, following an audience backlash.

The BBC’s new director-general has revealed that he was recently sent a 50-minute AI-generated episode of sci-fi show “Doctor Who,” judging it “pretty good.”

Per a report in trade paper Variety, Matt Brittin told an audience at the Royal Television Society conference that AI is “not going to replace humans, and we’ll come on to that,” noting that, “everyone’s a creator. Not all the creativity is bad.” Days earlier, Brittin had told an interviewer that he would consider allowing a BBC programme to be made and presented with AI, "within guardrails."

The news comes as the venerable sci-fi show, which first aired in 1963, was put out to tender after going on hiatus following the conclusion of a $220 million deal with Disney.

Brittin, who took on the top job at the British national broadcaster after an 18-year stint at Google, didn’t reveal further details about the episode, including whether it was generated by the BBC itself or was sent in by an external party. The BBC declined to comment.