Alice Taylor to lead BBC Studios' new AI Creative Lab
Alice Taylor has been appointed head of BBC Studios' AI Creative Lab. The announcement signals a clear push into AI for content creation across the broadcaster's portfolio.
Taylor joins from Disney, where she led the StudioLAB program. At BBC Studios, she will recruit and lead a team exploring practical uses of AI in production across scripted, unscripted, audio, and kids' programming.
The brief is simple and ambitious: build an ethical, innovative studio function that supports editorially sound output. From early concepting to final workflows, the Lab will test, learn, and ship tools that help real production teams deliver at scale.
What creatives need to know
The AI Creative Lab is a dedicated hub for experimentation that pairs AI specialists with writers, producers, editors, and showrunners. The mandate: explore where AI adds creative value without compromising standards or voice.
BBC Studios' Productions CEO Zai Bennett called out Taylor's blend of innovation and production experience as the edge needed to set direction for bold, imaginative storytelling with AI in the toolset. Taylor framed the opportunity as combining advanced AI methods with world-class storytelling to help teams scale exceptional entertainment globally.
This is arriving at a pivotal moment for the industry. AI's promise and its risks are being debated daily; the BBC is making a measured move to use the tech while protecting editorial integrity.
How the Lab will work
- Scope: Concept development through delivery, including research, writing support, visual workflows, audio, and post.
- Team model: Cross-functional squads pairing engineers and production creatives to prototype and pilot inside active shows.
- Guardrails: Ethics, consent, attribution, and BBC editorial standards at the core of every workflow tested. See the BBC Editorial Guidelines.
- Outcome: Practical tools and repeatable processes that save time, extend creative range, and keep human decision-making in control.
Practical takeaways for creative teams
- Use AI as a collaborator, not a replacement. Keep human taste and editorial judgment as the final gate.
- Prototype on one step in your pipeline: research summaries, mood boards, alt lines, shot lists, or rough cuts.
- Create a simple ethics checklist: rights, consent, data sources, disclosure, and bias review.
- Track results. Measure time saved, iterations reduced, and on-screen quality-then keep what works.
- Build small, cross-disciplinary pods. Pair a creative lead with a technical partner and a producer.
Quick FAQ
- What is the BBC Studios AI Creative Lab?
An internal hub for experimenting with AI in content production, from early concepting to final workflows. - Who is Alice Taylor?
The newly appointed head of the Lab, joining from Disney where she led the StudioLAB innovation program. - Main goal of the Lab?
Explore how AI can open new creative possibilities while maintaining strong editorial values and creative integrity. - Will it replace human creatives?
No. The Lab supports and augments the work of storytellers and producers within existing teams. - Which areas will it cover?
Scripted drama, unscripted entertainment, global formats, audio, and kids and family programming.
Why this move matters
The BBC is taking a thoughtful path: experiment with real teams, keep ethics front and center, and ship usable workflows. For creatives, that means more options on the canvas-without giving up authorship.
Expect a steady flow of pilots, playbooks, and tools that meet BBC standards and work under pressure. For context on the broader studio business, visit BBC Studios.
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