Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee slams ITV after controversial AI announcement

ITV announced plans precocious to prosecute idiosyncratic to capable a relation involving the spearheading 'AI-driven innovations successful contented creation,' which prompted immoderate criticism

Screenwriters including the creator of Derry Girls person criticised ITV implicit a occupation advert for an AI-related role.

ITV announced plans precocious to prosecute a 'Head of Generative AI Innovation' in a post connected LinkedIn. The full-time job, based successful London, was advertised arsenic including spearheading "AI-driven innovations successful contented instauration for TV shows, films, and digital-first content," arsenic good arsenic implementing tools similar "AI-generated ideation, quality development, and enhanced accumulation graphics".

A statement of the artificial quality (AI) related relation read: "This presumption volition thrust the strategy and execution of AI-driven translation crossed some ITV Studios and ITV's streaming services (ITVX). The palmy campaigner volition pb the exploration, development, and deployment of cutting-edge generative AI technologies that volition signifier the aboriginal of contented creation, streaming experiences, and operational workflows."

The job, listed with a wage of £80,000 to £95,000, had a closing day of October 23 successful the advertisement. However, it's stated connected LinkedIn that applications are nary longer being accepted.

The occupation advert has been met with immoderate criticism, including from acclaimed screenwriters successful the industry, amid immoderate wider concerns implicit the interaction of AI successful the amusement industry. Lisa McGee, who created and wrote Channel 4's Derry Girls, said successful a connection shared by Broadcast magazine that she recovered the quality "incredibly depressing" and "considering however AI worldly is generated, unethical". She added: "Great stories are successful the telling, the tone, the constituent of view, the personal. Screenwriting is some an creation signifier and a trade and I deliberation what I find astir disturbing is this tendency to regenerate us."

She hasn't been unsocial successful voicing her concern. Others who person addressed the quality see Jack Rooke, who created Channel 4 drama Big Boys, who is quoted arsenic having said that ITV was "neglecting to realise their astir palmy scripted projects person ever been calved retired of existent beingness quality experience." He referenced examples similar Mr Bates vs The Post Office, and besides mentioned long-running soap Coronation Street.

Jack said successful a connection that specified shows person "quite virtually shaped, reflected and changed" society, and were "built by existent beingness writers," adding: "That is what ITV person ever been bully at." He encouraged ITV to further put successful "creative penning talent" to "continue processing mainstream stories for audiences", alternatively than "cost-cutting successful dehumanising ways".

Trade national the Writers' Guild of Great Britain has besides reacted, with General Secretary Ellie Peers saying: "We were shocked to perceive that ITV are intending to bring successful an AI adept to regenerate writers and different creators. There's nary shortage of communicative ideas retired there, though sadly determination appears to beryllium an unwillingness to wage for them. If the broadcaster has a spare £95,000, they would beryllium amended disconnected investing successful screenwriters alternatively than gimmicks. We powerfully reason this determination from ITV, which besides raises superior questions astir IP. We volition beryllium talking astir this to ITV arsenic a substance of urgency."

In a connection published by Variety amid the backlash, a spokesperson for ITV said: "At ITV we are utilizing AI tools to heighten and grow our originative and accumulation processes. While thing tin regenerate the quality creativity of our teams, we are exploring however GenAI tin assistance our unit to enactment much efficiently and creatively and optimise our contented for viewers."

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