BBC & ITV Fail To Negotiate AI Safeguards In New Contracts With Actors Union Equity But Broadcasters Say Provisions “Remain Firmly On The Table”​on April 1, 2025 at 8:02 am

EXCLUSIVE: The BBC and ITV‘s new contracts with actors union Equity will not include artificial intelligence safeguards but the broadcasters have vowed that the “discussion around AI provisions remains firmly on the table.”

At a time when future AI and its uses are a major industry talking point, Deadline is told that Equity’s initial intention was to include safeguards against the invasive tech in these new agreements. But we understand the BBC and ITV will only agree AI provisions once Equity has completed its long-gestating deal with producer trade body Pact, as the broadcasters view artificial intelligence as an industry-wide issue. Those conversations with Pact are ongoing and AI remains a cornerstone of them, we are told. Equity declined comment.

Equity and the BBC’s new deal for actors on in-house BBC productions such as EastEnders was unveiled last week and includes higher pay, new provisions on bullying and harassment and best practices regarding audition self-tapes – but nothing on AI. Equity and ITV’s similar deal for in-house ITV Studios shows is yet to conclude but we are told this one will also no longer include AI. This comes a full 18 months after Deadline revealed that Equity and ITV’s deal was attempting to include landmark provisions around AI and cloning for the first time, addressing areas such as ‘synthesisation’ – the potential for actors’ faces to be cloned and used in other shows. Since then, Equity’s American sister union SAG-AFTRA has struck landmark AI agreements with the AMPTP around AI protections.

Both the BBC and ITV stressed to Deadline that conversations around AI provisions will continue beyond the contract negotiations.

“We continue to have discussions with Equity, guided by our AI principles,” a BBC spokeswoman said. “These are outside the context of our normal Equity framework negotiations.”

An ITV spokeswoman added: “The discussion around AI provisions remains firmly on the table and our aim is to continue being part of industry wide positive and constructive discussions with Equity around this issue.”

As Deadline has previously reported, Equity’s deal with Pact, which governs the majority of TV series that aren’t included in the BBC and ITV agreements, features AI as one of its five key negotiating topics. We are told the pair are still in the trenches on this deal and continue to debate AI.

Relations between Equity and the UK broadcasters on AI have been topsy turvy of late.

Last month, Equity sent a letter to bosses at the BBC, ITV, Disney and Pact threatening to go to the “courts if necessary” if members’ rights continue to be breached in the training of AI models.

In the BBC’s Annual Plan published yesterday, the corporation said it wishes to “lead the debate on how AI can support human creativity and growth in creative industries, while protecting the intellectual property of creators.”