BFI's AI Recommendations for UK Screen Sector

The BFI has released a report with nine recommendations for the UK screen sector regarding AI technology. The report, titled ’AI in the screen sector: perspectives and paths forward’, focuses on how UK creative sectors can succeed in the AI era and ensure the UK remains a leader in creative technology.

Recommendations include creating a licensing framework for copyright issues related to generative AI, AI training for the creative workforce, transparent disclosures for AI use in screen content, financial support for the UK’s creative technology sector, and accessible resources for independent creators via ethical AI products.

Current AI Adoptions

The Charismatic consortium, supported by Channel 4 and Aardman Animations, is developing an AI prototype and researching AI's potential to help under-represented content creators and producers enhance storytelling. The BBC is testing structured AI initiatives, while the BFI National Archive and the BBFC are experimenting with AI for subtitling, metadata generation, and content classification.

Rishi Coupland, the BFI’s director of research and innovation and co-author of the report, stated that AI has been part of the screen sector’s toolkit and its advancement is attracting investments. Coupland added that the report is critical, showing that generative AI is an inflection point and the sector needs to act quickly.

Coupland said that while AI offers opportunities such as faster production, democratized content creation, and new voices, it could also negatively impact business models, displace workers, and reduce public trust in content.

According to The Atlantic, 139,000 film and TV scripts have been used to train generative AI without payment or permission. The BFI published the report as part of its role within the CoSTAR Foresight Lab. Angus Finney, Brian Tarran, and Coupland authored it, using published reports, public consultation responses, surveys, and stakeholder interviews.

Report Recommendations

Copyright and Licensing

The report emphasizes the need to address copyright concerns with generative AI, because AI models are being developed using copyrighted material without permission, posing a threat to the UK screen sector. The report suggests licensing frameworks as a solution. The UK’s Copyright Licensing Agency is developing a generative AI training license to facilitate market-based solutions, and companies like Human Native are enabling deals between rightsholders and AI developers.

The report states that the UK can lead in this area due to its copyright regime, technology ecosystem, and creative organizations advocating for licensing practices. The report suggests formalizing IP licensing for AI training and fostering partnerships between rightsholders and AI developers.

Environmental Impact

Generative AI models require computational resources, leading to energy consumption and carbon emissions. The report calls for transparency regarding AI’s environmental impact, mentioning that Blue Zoo is using infrastructure where energy sources and consumption are visible.

The report points to a need for sustainability-focused AI guidelines.

Industry Needs and Public Values

The report states that generative AI tools must align with industry needs and public values, because many models have been developed without sufficient input from the screen sector or audiences, leading to outputs poorly suited to production workflows or that risk cultural homogenization and ethical oversights.

The report references Genario, a screenwriting tool created by a scriptwriter and an AI engineer in France, and Microsoft’s Muse experiment as examples of cross-disciplinary collaboration.

AI Observatory and Tech Demonstrator Hub

The report highlights that the UK has over 13,000 creative technology companies, but organizations and individuals lack access to structured intelligence on AI trends, risks, and opportunities. The BFI has proposed creating an ‘AI observatory’ and ‘tech demonstrator hub’ to address this, which has been endorsed by the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

AI Training

The report identifies a shortfall in AI training, noting that AI education in the UK screen sector is currently more ‘informal’ than ‘formal’, and many workers lack access to resources to develop skills complementary to AI. By helping workers transition into AI-augmented roles, the UK can future-proof its creative workforce.

Transparency and Audience Trust

Surveys show that most British respondents support clear disclosures when AI is used in media production, and stakeholders are calling for standards on content provenance and authenticity. The BBC is experimenting with fine-tuning AI models to reflect their editorial standards, and the BFI is deploying AI in archival work with a focus on ethical and transparent practices.

Financial Support

The report mentions there is a need for financial support for the UK’s creative technology sector. The House of Lords has identified a “technology scaleup problem” in the UK, with limited access to growth capital, poor infrastructure, and a culture of risk aversion.

Independent Creators

Generative AI is lowering traditional barriers to entry in the UK screen sector, enabling individuals and small teams to realize creative visions without large budgets. The Charismatic consortium sees the potential of AI “to support creators disadvantaged through lack of access to funds or the industry to compete with better funded organizations”. By investing in accessible tools, training, and funding for independent creators, the UK can foster a more inclusive creative economy.