BBC World Service Brings Witness History to Life with AI Animation

Image: BBC Press

By Jon Donnis

The BBC World Service is experimenting with a new way of presenting its journalism, announcing that the long running programme Witness History will be adapted into a series of animated videos created with generative AI technology. The project represents the first time the BBC World Service has used this approach, as it looks for fresh methods to present its storytelling to audiences around the world.

Five recent episodes of Witness History are being turned into animated adaptations. The first of these, The World's First Labradoodle, has already been released on the BBC World Service YouTube channel. It will be followed by animated versions of Brazil's Biggest Bank Heist, Ramesses II's 'Mummy Makeover', The Discovery of Lord Sipan in Peru, and Arrested for Playing Football in Brazil.

The aim of the project is to expand the reach of Witness History by transforming its well known audio storytelling into a visual format. By pairing animation with the original recordings, the BBC hopes to give these stories a new life while making them more accessible to viewers who may not usually encounter the programme in audio form.

Fred Durman, Head of Business Development at BBC World Service, described the initiative as an opportunity to revive existing material in a new way. He said the use of generative AI allows the organisation to give its original programming a second life and connect with audiences through a different style of presentation.

Anna Doble, Digital Editor at BBC World Service, explained that the team is exploring how AI tools can help bring the programme's stories to life visually. She said the organisation is interested to see how new viewers respond to this approach as the episodes begin reaching wider audiences.

Animator Guang Jin Yeo of 1UpMedia, who worked on the project, said the goal was to create animation that complements the original audio without losing the careful storytelling that defines Witness History. He added that generative AI makes it possible to open up the BBC World Service archive of narrative audio for viewers who might never have discovered these stories otherwise.

The first animated episode, Witness History: The World's First Labradoodle, is already available to watch, while the remaining adaptations will follow as the project continues. Alongside the new videos, Witness History remains available as a weekday programme on BBC World Service English and as a podcast through BBC Sounds and other BBC podcast platforms.