The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has employed artificial intelligence for the first time to assist in classifying streaming content, during a year in which it also rated a record number of cinema films, according to its 2025 annual report.
AI tool aids classification process
The organisation was responsible for classifying the entire HBO Max catalogue ahead of its UK launch earlier this year and deployed an AI tool to support its decision-making. The tool does not make final decisions on age ratings or content advice but generates detailed insights for a BBFC compliance officer to review before making the classification.
Natasha Kaplinsky, president of the BBFC, hailed 2025 as a “year of enormous progress” for the organisation and said it has “continued to embrace technology so our classifications could be delivered as widely and efficiently as possible”.
Record cinema film classifications
The BBFC classified 1,315 feature films in 2025, the highest number in its 113-year history. Additionally, the board received 4,373 packaged media submissions, driven by an increase in anime titles, which accounted for 40% of all content submitted for release on physical formats such as DVD and Blu-ray.
Phil Clapp, chief executive of the UK Cinema Association, hailed the findings as highlighting the “resilience and vitality of the UK cinema sector” and said they show the “recent rise of younger audiences flocking to the big screen”.
Partnerships and child protection
The report also states that the BBFC has joined forces with Prime Video for a self-rating partnership, amid a shift toward streaming and digital culture. The organisation has held a similar partnership with Netflix since 2019 and currently works with 27 different licensees.
The BBFC has continued to dedicate itself to protecting children and young people from potentially harmful content in a changing online world, working with the UK’s mobile network operators to ensure adult content filters align with their 18 standard rating.
Regulation of pornographic content
The BBFC has been engaged with the regulation of pornographic content online and offline following a report by Conservative peer Baroness Bertin, which found that videos showing women being choked are rife on pornography sites and have helped establish it as a sexual norm. The BBFC conducted a survey last year which found that just over a third (35%) of adult pornography users reported having been exposed to violent or abusive pornography in the past three months.
Baroness Bertin hailed the “vital work” the BBFC does in classifying pornographic content and said it has “never been more important”. She added: “The BBFC makes it clear that this content is illegal to supply and distribute offline. We must apply those exact same standards to the digital world. Just as the 1984 legislation made BBFC classification mandatory for physical videos, we need a similar regulatory framework online to protect the public. While we have recently seen critical changes to the law, such as the Crime and Policing Act bringing some robust standards online, there is still more to do. I am delighted the Government has committed to parity and bringing in regulators where needed. The BBFC has the expertise and experience needed to underpin a strong regulatory framework, and I hope the Government will consider this.”
