{"id":611625,"date":"2026-05-30T06:41:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T06:41:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/611625\/"},"modified":"2026-05-30T06:41:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T06:41:40","slug":"bbc-faces-backlash-over-question-times-ai-panel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/611625\/","title":{"rendered":"BBC Faces Backlash Over Question Time’s ‘AI Panel’"},"content":{"rendered":"

The BBC<\/a>\u2019s Question Time<\/a> programme has raised eyebrows over scenes depicting Fiona Bruce<\/a> sitting among historical figures recreated with generative AI technology.<\/p>\n

On Thursday night, Question Time aired an artificial intelligence special, which opened with Fiona introducing her guests for the evening, including AI-generated images of former prime minister Winston Churchill<\/a> and pioneering artist Frida Kahlo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

AI renderings of Emmeline Pankhurst<\/a> and Mahatma Gandhi<\/a> were also included (a Radio Times<\/a> article previewing the special also featured Che Guevara<\/a> on this line-up, though this was ultimately not part of the broadcast).<\/p>\n

Tonight Question Time features an imagined AI panel made up of historical figures who shaped the modern world <\/p>\n

Watch the #bbcqt<\/a> AI special now on @BBCiPlayer<\/a> and @BBCNews<\/a> to see what our REAL panel have to say on AI, including how it can blur the lines between reality and fakery pic.twitter.com\/G1HVSUyt5t<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) May 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Before the episode aired, a clip of the scene in question was posted on Question Time\u2019s social media accounts, and was quickly met with backlash from viewers who took issue with the BBC for a variety of reasons, not least the ethical questions about recreating dead people\u2019s likeness using AI<\/a> and the technology\u2019s impact on the environment<\/a>.<\/p>\n

BBC Question Time has just jumped the shark. Time for it to be retired.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Neon Echo (@NeonEcho1) May 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Well done Beeb for demonstrating AI through the use of it that most devalues it and gives it zero worth to humanity…producing not convincing, not historically accurate, utterly pointless slop imagery as a gimmick and a waste of time.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jon Burley (@JonBurley3) May 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Utter ai-slop, British edition. Might as well have puppeted their corpses live.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Anton51 (@Anton51Art) May 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The thing about these kinds of Gen AI use cases is that the BBC could have easily made this video before these tools existed – you could do it with actors in makeup, you could do it with traditional VFX.<\/p>\n

The fact that you’re only doing it now means you only thought it was worth\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/nCmjdbDB4H<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Fergus Navaratnam-Blair (@Fergus_NBlair) May 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

great! Thank you for wasting gallons of water for this utter shit\ud83e\udd70<\/p>\n

\u2014 mary queen of thots\ud83c\udf49 (@txbamxnmicxh_s) May 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Fuck off are you using my license fee for this slop. 35\u00b0 in May but yeah, generate some more shite like this for a laugh.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ben Longthorne (@BenLongthorne) May 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

There’s no ethical usage of generative ai, what the hell are you doing endorsing this by showing it?
Have some damn standards<\/p>\n

\u2014 Malted Bastard (@Malted_Bastard) May 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Yeah, you can get this completely abhorrent bollocks right in the bin. This is the sort of content you expect to see on shite tiktoks or Reddit groups from some basement dweller, not the fucking BBC.<\/p>\n

\u2014 David Carslaw (@Davedaveydave) May 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

This is pretty pathetic, and like a lot of uses of AI, essentially pointless<\/p>\n

\u2014 Simon (@sipryor) May 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Funny that the message of this vacuous exercise is essentially \u201cimagine if we had interesting guests.\u201d #bbcqt<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Andrew Connelly (@connellyandrew) May 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The most unusual thing about the AI generated Question Time panel was Nigel Farage wasn’t on it.<\/p>\n

\u2014 MLAs And The Like (@MLAsAndTheLike) May 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

During the actual broadcast, Fiona Bruce was quick to point out that the opening scene was actually a stunt to highlight the capabilities of generative AI.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat really would be something, wouldn\u2019t it? If that was our actual panel. Of course, it\u2019s not. It\u2019s AI generated, and just gives us a tiny insight into the use of this technology,\u201d she told viewers, before introducing the previously-announced \u201chuman panel\u201d of experts from the world of tech. <\/p>\n

However, even before people were made aware of Question Time\u2019s AI-generated opening skit, many had still taken issue with its \u201cAI special\u201d, which they claimed didn\u2019t represent a balanced view of the contentious tech<\/a>, due to the fact that everyone involved was seemingly in favour of it.<\/p>\n

So you know what @bbcquestiontime<\/a> did with Farage? They\u2019re now doing it with AI. <\/p>\n

This \u2018expert\u2019 panel on AI is a disgrace: not one critical voice. <\/p>\n

Gilbert works for Tony Blair to promote AI. Jones is govt chief AI booster (& Blair flunky). Riparbelli is industry. Gawdat is ex\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/xAxuI9NQEm<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) May 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

So where’s the pragmatic voice on concern about the effects of AI on the environment, employment, taxation, democracy?<\/p>\n

\u2014 Gina Miller (@thatginamiller) May 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The most bizarre example of manufacturing consent I\u2019ve seen on the bbc in a while. Saying something!<\/p>\n

\u2014 Aaron Bastani (@AaronBastani) May 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

This seems like an overwhelmingly pro-AI panel, which feels like a missed opportunity and not reflective of public opinion<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ed Newton-Rex (@ednewtonrex) May 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

A BBC spokesperson told HuffPost UK: \u201cThis week\u2019s panel explored the opportunities, risks and moral dilemmas posed by artificial intelligence, with a range of views represented.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth our panelists and audience members raised a range of issues around the use of AI including the opening question on its impact on the job market, as well as its effects on mental health, data and image theft, and the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last year, Channel 4\u2019s Dispatches programme faced a similar backlash<\/a> when it aired a special episode about AI, which was later revealed to have been fronted by a \u201chost\u201d generated entirely with artificial intelligence technology.<\/p>\n

Channel 4\u2019s head of news and current affairs said at the time: \u201cThis stunt does serve as a useful reminder of just how disruptive AI has the potential to be \u2013 and how easy it is to hoodwink audiences with content they have no way of verifying.\u201d<\/p>\n