BFI Report Details Nine Recommendations for Ethical AI Use in UK Screen Sector

A report released by the British Film Institute (BFI) on June 8, 2025, outlines nine strategic recommendations aimed at ensuring that artificial intelligence (AI) serves as a beneficial tool for the U.K. screen sector. Titled "AI in the Screen Sector: Perspectives and Paths Forward," the report emphasizes the importance of ethical, sustainable, and inclusive AI integration within film and television production. According to the BFI, the U.K. must leverage its creative strengths to maintain its position as a global leader in screen production and innovation.

The BFI report comes at a time of heightened scrutiny surrounding the use of generative AI technologies in the creative industry. It highlights the rapid adoption of AI tools, which have the potential to transform the creative landscape but also pose significant legal, ethical, and practical challenges. Central to these concerns is the issue of copyrighted material, as many AI models are trained using over 100,000 film and TV scripts without the consent of the original creators. This practice could undermine the economics of the screen sector by devaluing intellectual property and undermining the livelihoods of original creators.

Professor Jonny Freeman, Director of the CoStar Foresight Lab, noted that while AI can enhance creativity and efficiency across various stages of production, it raises urgent questions regarding workforce adaptation, ethics, and sustainability. The report outlines several recommendations to address these challenges, including:

1. **Rights**: Establishing the U.K. as a leader in intellectual property (IP) licensing markets to resolve copyright issues surrounding AI. 2. **Carbon**: Implementing data-driven guidelines to minimize the environmental impact of AI technologies, given their high energy consumption. 3. **Responsible AI**: Encouraging cross-discipline collaboration to ensure AI tools align with industry needs and ethical standards. 4. **Insight**: Enhancing the U.K. creative industries' strategies through access to world-class intelligence on AI trends and risks. 5. **Skills**: Fostering skill development to complement AI technology and prepare the workforce for evolving industry demands. 6. **Public Transparency**: Increasing public understanding of AI's role in media production, as surveys indicate a strong demand for clear disclosures regarding AI usage. 7. **Sector Adaptation**: Strengthening the digital content production sector to adapt to emerging technologies while addressing funding and training gaps. 8. **Investment**: Unlocking financial support for the creative technology sector to foster innovation and growth. 9. **Independent Creation**: Empowering independent creators to utilize AI tools to realize their creative visions without the constraints of large budgets.

Rishi Coupland, Director of Research and Innovation at BFI, emphasized the urgency of these recommendations, asserting that while AI presents significant opportunities for the screen sector, it also threatens to displace skilled workers and erode traditional business models. The report serves as a crucial roadmap for the U.K. film, television, and video game industries to thrive in an AI-driven landscape.

The BFI's research indicates that the U.K. is well-positioned to adapt to these technological shifts, citing its robust foundation in creative technology, which includes over 13,000 creative tech companies. As generative AI continues to evolve, the BFI's recommendations aim to create a more inclusive and dynamic creative economy, ensuring that AI enhances rather than replaces human creativity in the U.K. screen sector.