Summary
- BBC won’t use AI for
Doctor Who
promotion after complaints, signaling a shift in AI marketing methods. - The
Doctor Who
team’s decision highlights industry debates on AI’s impact on jobs and creativity. - The move could influence other producers’ AI use and assure viewers of promotional authenticity.
The Doctor Who team will not use artificial intelligence to promote the show following complaints about its use. A long-standing show, season 14 of the Doctor Who revival will soon premiere. The season will feature Ncuti Gatwa in the role of the Fifteenth Doctor, acting alongside actor Millie Gibson in the role of companion Ruby Sunday.
Per Deadline, BBC will no longer use AI to promote Doctor Who after receiving complaints. The network received complaints from viewers after text for two promotional emails that were thought to have used generative AI. The BBC now says that they “have no plans to do this again to promote Doctor Who.” Check out the full quote from the BBC below:
We followed all BBC editorial compliance processes and the final text was verified and signed-off by a member of the marketing team before it was sent. We have no plans to do this again to promote
Doctor Who
.
How The Doctor Who News Relates To General AI Debates
According to the BBC, the AI used in the emails was “part of a small trial” to effectively use the technology. This AI use came after a recent statement from BBC Head of Media Inventory Davis Housden regarding the use of AI. In conjunction with a new marketing push, Housden said that “generative AI offers a great opportunity to speed up making the extra assets to get more experiments live for more content that we are trying to promote.” At the time Housden did not reveal the extent to which AI would be used to promote Doctor Who.
The Doctor Who AI debate comes at a time when the use of AI tools is hotly contested in the film industry. The extent to which AI could be used and credited for screenplays was a factor in the WGA strike of 2023, and continues to be a topic of discussion. Many writers, including screenwriters and those in publicity, feel their jobs are under threat because of AI.
Related
8 Reasons Doctor Who Season 14 Is Making The Show Exciting Again
Doctor Who is back, and there are a lot of changes that make the latest season one of the most exciting moments in the shows lengthy history.
BBC’s refusal to continue with AI technology for Doctor Who promotion represents not only a huge turn for the group, but a huge step for AI usage in the industry. With the BBC’s decision, other major producers might be dissuaded from using AI for marketing materials in the future. Even if not, viewers can now be sure that AI is not being used widely for the promotion of Doctor Who season 14.
Doctor Who
is available to stream on Max and on BBC One and BBC iPlayer for UK viewers.
Doctor Who
season 14 will stream on Disney+.
Source: Deadline
Doctor Who
Originally premiered in 1963, Doctor Who is a sci-fi series that follows a powerful being known as a Time Lord, referred to as the Doctor. Using an interdimensional time-traveling ship known as the TARDIS, the Doctor travels time and space with various companions as they solve multiple problems and help avert catastrophe as much as they almost cause it. Though the Doctor is always the same character, they experience regenerations, allowing them to be recast every few seasons as a unique immortal being with new personality traits.
Release Date November 23, 1963
Seasons 26
Writers Mark Gatiss , Toby Whithouse , Neil Cross , Steven Moffat , Chris Chibnall
Franchise Doctor Who
