BBC director-general Matt Brittin says he recently watched a 50-minute episode of "Doctor Who" made with artificial intelligence. He described it as "pretty good."
Brittin made the comments at the Royal Television Society conference, according to trade paper Variety. He told the audience that AI is "not going to replace humans."
"Everyone's a creator. Not all the creativity is bad," Brittin said.
Few Details About the AI Episode
Brittin did not share more details about the episode. He did not say whether the BBC made it or whether someone outside the company sent it to him.
The BBC declined to comment when asked about the episode.
Brittin became head of the British national broadcaster after spending 18 years at Google. He is still new to the top job at the BBC.
Days before the conference, Brittin told an interviewer he would consider letting a BBC programme be made and presented with AI. He said this would only happen "within guardrails."
Past Backlash Over AI and Doctor Who
This is not the first time the BBC has linked "Doctor Who" with AI. In 2024, the broadcaster said it had started using generative AI to create marketing materials for its flagship shows, starting with "Doctor Who."
The trial used AI to help draft text for two promotional emails and mobile notifications for the show.
Within weeks, the BBC dropped the plan. It said it had "received complaints" from viewers and described the effort as a "small trial."
The BBC's marketing team said at the time that it had "no plans" to use AI in this way again.
That decision came a few months after the BBC published its "core principles" for generative AI. The principles promised to act in the public interest, put talent and "human creativity" first, and be open about how the technology is used.
Since then, the BBC has launched several AI "pilot projects." These include a synthetic voice for weather reports and tools to improve images.
"Doctor Who" first aired in 1963 and is one of the longest-running sci-fi shows on television. It went on hiatus after a $220 million deal with Disney came to an end.
The BBC has now put the show out to tender, inviting production companies to bid to make future episodes. Brittin's comments about the AI-generated episode came shortly after that process was announced.
