Former Pact chief John McVay has been tapped as vice chair of AIMICI, which assists U.K. screen industry companies in navigating the responsible use of AI tools.
The appointment comes with a succession plan for Sir John Lucas-Tooth, the current chair of AIMICI. McVay will fill the post when Lucas-Tooth steps back from the company.
McVay, who spent almost 25 years as chief executive for Pact, sits on the Creative Industries Council and has served on the boards of the British Film Commission, the Creative Diversity Network, and the Creative Cities Convention.
“Before you can manage risk, you need to understand it,” McVay said. “Confusion in the market means that responsible rapid adoption of the technology is stalling, and misinformation can cause paralysis. AIMICI is addressing this by focusing on standardizing AI training and transparency. Having created the first AI competency certification standard for the industry and upskilling the community with the right technology and insights, we can level the playing field and get on with what we do best—telling stories the world wants to hear. The instinct toward transparency is the right one. The execution gap is what the next twelve months need to close.”
Ahsan Mallick, founder of AIMICI, added, “John is legendary in the business as an innovator of policy and a champion of new vanguards. His deep industry knowledge, connections, and advocacy for fair and transparent ways of working make him the perfect addition to our team. His relationships with unions and industry stakeholders will facilitate our ability to establish workable AI guidelines for all production businesses.”
