Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

BBC uses AI to recreate Agatha Christie for new writing course

The AI-powered course was developed by BBC Studios

agatha christie

The AI-generated video series will be available exclusively on BBC Maestro

Getty

Aspiring crime writers now have the opportunity to be taught by Agatha Christie herself, at least in a virtual sense. A new online writing course on the subscription platform BBC Maestro features lessons “delivered” by Christie, who died in 1976, using a combination of artificial intelligence, licensed images, and restored voice recordings.

The AI-powered course was developed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC, in collaboration with the Agatha Christie estate. The project aims to present writing advice directly drawn from Christie’s own interviews, letters, and other archival material. The end result is a reconstructed version of the author offering guidance on how to craft mystery stories, including structure, suspense, and plot twists.


The course was curated by a group of Christie scholars: Dr Mark Aldridge, Michelle Kazmer, Gray Robert Brown, and Jamie Bernthal-Hooker. According to Aldridge, “We meticulously pieced together Agatha Christie’s own words from her letters, interviews and writings. Witnessing her insights come to life has been a profoundly moving experience.”

To bring the author to life on screen, actor Vivien Keene worked closely with visual effects specialists. She studied rare footage of Christie in order to capture her mannerisms and expressions. Keene described the experience as unique, noting that it was unlike any other role she had undertaken in her 44-year acting career.

The audio in the videos was created using restored voice recordings and AI-enhanced technology. Although the end product appears to feature Christie’s voice and likeness, her great-grandson James Prichard, CEO of Agatha Christie Limited, clarified that the course content was compiled and written by experts, not generated by artificial intelligence.

“This was not written by AI,” Prichard said. “It is a leading academic unearthing everything that she said about writing. And I believe that what we are delivering here in terms of her message is better presented and will reach more people as a result of being presented, if I can use inverted commas, ‘by her’.”

He acknowledged ethical concerns surrounding the use of AI in creative industries but said he believed the project had used the technology in an ethical and helpful way. “I’d be lying if I said there weren’t worries,” he told The Telegraph, “but the AI model of Agatha doesn’t work without the performance of Vivien Keene.”

Agatha Christie, often referred to as the queen of crime, wrote 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections. Her work has sold more than two billion copies worldwide. She also penned The Mousetrap, the world’s longest-running play, and her stories have inspired numerous film and television adaptations.

The AI-generated video series will be available exclusively on BBC Maestro, which offers a range of expert-led video courses in various disciplines.

More For You

Jio Platforms

Jio Platforms includes India’s largest telecom operator, Reliance Jio Infocomm, with more than 500 million users. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

Jio IPO planned for mid-2026, AI unit announced with Meta and Google

RELIANCE Industries plans to take its telecom and digital arm, Jio Platforms, public by mid-2026, chairman Mukesh Ambani said on Friday. The announcement sets a new timeline for the long-awaited IPO of a business analysts value at over $100 billion.

At its annual general meeting (AGM), Reliance also announced the launch of an artificial intelligence unit in partnership with Google and Meta.

Keep ReadingShow less
JLR-Getty

A logo is pictured outside a Jaguar Land Rover new car show room in Tonbridge, south east England. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

UK car exports to US rebound after trade deal

UK VEHICLE exports to the United States rose in July after a new trade deal between London and Washington reduced tariffs, industry data showed on Thursday.

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), exports increased 6.8 per cent in July to nearly 10,000 units, following three consecutive months of decline.

Keep ReadingShow less
Migrant hotel workers call off strike after reaching agreement

Workers at Radisson Blu hotel in Canary Wharf

Migrant hotel workers call off strike after reaching agreement

WORKERS at the Radisson Blu hotel in Canary Wharf have cancelled a planned six-week strike after reaching an agreement that met all their demands.

The group of housekeepers, most of whom are migrant women from Nepal and members of the United Voices of the World (UVW) union, were due to begin industrial action on Sunday (31). It would have been the longest hotel strike in the UK since 1979, a statement said.

Keep ReadingShow less
enforcement directorate

The Enforcement Directorate searches were conducted at locations linked to the Gupta brothers, Piyoosh Goyal of World Window Group, and entities such as Sahara Computers and ITJ Retails Pvt Ltd.

Getty Images

India agency acts on South Africa request in Gupta brothers probe

INDIA's financial crime fighting agency, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday carried out searches at locations connected to the Gupta brothers of South Africa and their associates in a money laundering case.

The action followed a Mutual Legal Assistance Request (MLAR) received by India from South Africa in connection with the "state capture scam," reported PTI quoting sources.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump and Modi

Donald Trump speaks with the press as he meets with Narendra Modi in the Oval Office of the White House on February 13, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Trump’s doubling of tariffs on Indian imports takes effect

Highlights

  • US tariffs on Indian imports rise to as much as 50 per cent
  • Nearly 55 per cent of India’s $87bn exports to US could be affected
  • Exporters warn of job losses and call for loan moratoriums
  • India says support measures will be offered to affected exporters

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s doubling of tariffs on Indian imports took effect on Wednesday, raising duties on some shipments to as much as 50 per cent. The move escalates trade tensions between India and the United States.

Keep ReadingShow less