BBC staff push back after the director-general calls an AI-made 'Doctor Who' 'pretty good'
BBC staff asked director-general Matt Brittin whether the BBC should fully reject generative AI after he praised an AI Doctor Who episode. He clarified that humans are leading but did not retract the remark, and BBC policy has not changed.
At a BBC staff town hall on Wednesday, Oct 7, employees challenged director-general Matt Brittin over his Sept 29 remark that a 50-minute AI-generated Doctor Who episode someone sent him was "pretty good." One question, upvoted 86 times, pointed out that Doctor Who is made in Cardiff and said young people "do not want this" content. Another asked whether it was time for the BBC to fully reject generative AI.
Brittin joked that he "got in trouble" but did not retract the remark. He said he was making a point about the pace of change, that he wants to speed up testing and learning, and that "humans are leading." He has not named the episode or who made it.
The timing matters because the BBC is running a competitive tender for the next producer of Doctor Who. Its own supplier guidance already tells producers to confirm any proposed AI use with their commissioner, and to disclose it directly wherever generated output could mislead an audience.
In practice, if a pitch to a UK broadcaster leans on generated footage, clear it with the commissioner before the deck goes in and plan the disclosure line from day one.
Source: Deadline, Oct 8, 2026; BBC AI transparency guidance.
