Tech Innovator Alice Taylor to Lead BBC Studios' AI Creative Lab

In a significant move, BBC Studios has announced that Alice Taylor will be taking on the role of running their AI Creative Lab, starting in five days. Taylor, a native Brit, has spent the past decade at Walt Disney Studios as the Director of Technological Innovation, where she oversaw the StudioLAB initiative and delivered projects like the interactive content "Remembering" on Disney+.

At the BBC, Taylor will be tasked with building out a team of two to three people as she creates a "roadmap" for the lab that will see AI used more extensively across BBC Studios' content. Recent examples of the broadcaster's foray into AI include resurrecting Agatha Christie's voice and using CGI filmmaking in "Prehistoric Planet."

Supporting teams across various genres, Taylor will seek to "bring together AI specialists, creative talent, and producers to explore how AI can unlock new possibilities, from concept development to production workflows." BBC Studios has emphasized that Taylor's work in AI will be "ethical," a crucial consideration given the ongoing debates around the responsible use of this technology.

Taylor's return to BBC Studios, where she previously worked across digital when it was called BBC Worldwide, is seen as a significant coup for the organization. Zai Bennett, the productions boss, has expressed excitement about Taylor's "rare blend of creative vision and technical expertise" and the instrumental role she will play in shaping how the broadcaster uses AI to tell stories in bold and imaginative ways, while staying true to its editorial values and creative integrity.