The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has used artificial intelligence to assign age ratings to the entire UK catalogue of HBO Max, including shows such as The Pitt and a Game of Thrones spinoff. The regulator announced this week that its AI tool, developed specifically for HBO, identifies contentious scenes involving violence, nudity or strong language, which are then reviewed by human compliance officers.
The technology enabled the BBFC to classify all HBO Max titles in six months, a task that would otherwise have required an estimated 1,570 working days of human viewing. The Pitt received a 15 rating, while the Game of Thrones spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was given an overall 18 rating, though most of its episodes were rated 15. BBFC ratings range from U (universal) to 18 (adults only).
David Austin, the BBFC chief executive, described the tool as “a major step forward” in helping families make informed viewing decisions. He noted that it directs compliance officers to the most contentious moments, handling much of the preliminary work. However, he acknowledged that during testing the AI was overly cautious, once mistakenly flagging red paint as blood, underscoring the need for human oversight.
While streaming services are not legally required to submit content to the BBFC, platforms like Netflix, Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video already use the system. The BBFC confirmed that the AI-generated reports were used solely for classification and not for further model training. Final age ratings and content advice remained the responsibility of BBFC staff.
