The BFI has published a major report on the impact of AI on the Screen Sector as part of its partnership with the CoSTAR Foresight Lab.

The report assesses the current use of AI in the UK screen sector as well as barriers and challenges to its adoption. It then sets out a series of recommendations in the hope that, as the BFI puts it, they will act as a “roadmap for uniting the sector in pursuit of a future where AI enhances, rather than detracts from, our creative power”.

Many of the concerns that are raised by the sector are well-rehearsed. In addition to fears about the protection of copyright-protected works, the report examines concerns about employment and training, sustainability, the growth of so-called ‘AI slop’, the rise of misinformation, and the risks of bias and data breaches.

Despite pointing to “a clear appetite for responsible AI integration” within the screen sector, the report draws attention to the lack of training in AI and limited investment to support AI innovation, holding back opportunities for greater adoption. For example, it points to the lack of any industry-wide standards or policies on AI use, as well as the lack of formal training or resources for many workers in the sector.

Looking ahead, the report makes a series of recommendations which, it says, should “align technological advancement with ethical responsibility and economic opportunity, ensuring long-term growth and success of the UK screen sector”. For example, it calls for the UK to become the “world-leading IP licensing market” to address concerns about generative AI and copyright, for “cross-discipline collaboration to deliver market-preferred, ethical AI products”, and for “shared infrastructure for horizon scanning, knowledge exchange, and alignment”.

Commenting on the report, Rishi Coupland, the BFI’s Director of Research & Innovation, said:

“AI has long been an established part of the screen sector’s creative toolkit, most recently seen in the post-production of the Oscar-winning The Brutalist, and its rapid advancement is attracting multi-million investments in technology innovator applications. However, our report comes at a critical time and shows how generative AI presents an inflection point for the sector and, as a sector, we need to act quickly on a number of key strategic fronts. While it offers significant opportunities for the screen sector such as speeding up production workflows, democratising content creation and empowering new voices, it could also erode traditional business models, displace skilled workers, and undermine public trust in screen content. The report’s recommendations provide a roadmap to how we can ensure that the UK’s world-leading film, TV, video games and VFX industries continue to thrive by making best use of AI technologies to bring their creativity, innovations and storytelling to screens around the globe.”

To read the report in full, click here.