BBC used AI to "bring Agatha Christie to life" for writing course

BBC Studios has used neural networks to recreate the voice and appearance of famous detective author Agatha Christie to make her a virtual teacher. For this role, actress Vivien Keene was invited, whose image was modified using AI to make her look like Christie.

The course, called Agatha Christie Writing, is now available on the BBC Maestro platform, an online subscription service for $10 per month that offers educational materials from professionals in various fields, including cooking, design and personal effectiveness.

The writer's great-grandson James Prichard noted that the lessons are built "in Agatha's own words", although the content itself was created by a team of scientists and experts, and not automatically generated by a neural network. The course materials are based on real quotes, interviews, audio recordings, photos and personal notes of Christie. The BBC worked with the writer's heirs to make this project as authentic as possible.

The program includes 11 video lessons and 12 practical tasks that teach how to create plot structures, develop intrigue, and build tension. The course is aimed at those who dream of writing detective stories, adopting the experience of one of the most successful authors in the genre.