Innovate UK Business Connect backs Eros Innovation challenge on trusted cultural AI

Eros Innovation and Innovate UK Business Connect have launched a UK innovation challenge to build infrastructure for rights, provenance, identity, consent and cultural authenticity in film and synthetic media. Applications are open through 13 November 2026, with selected teams eligible for a three-month proof of concept and possible funding of £25,000 to £50,000.

Why it matters: - Generative AI is moving deeper into film, characters and synthetic media. - The challenge targets the infrastructure needed to prove what is authentic, who owns what, and what can be used legally. - The effort could help set practical standards for trusted cultural AI workflows in the creative industries.

What happened: - Eros Innovation announced “Trusted Cultural AI Infrastructure: Film, Character & Rights,” an Innovation Exchange challenge supported by Innovate UK Business Connect. - The initiative is open to UK innovators building interoperable technologies for rights, provenance, identity, consent and cultural authenticity. - Applications are open now and close on 13 November 2026. - The application page is available here.

The details: - The challenge focuses on two areas: rights, attribution and provenance; and identity, consent and cultural authenticity. - Eros is looking for solutions in machine-readable rights, attribution and automated licensing. - Eros also wants provenance tracking across the content lifecycle. - Other target areas include identity, consent, likeness, voice and character-rights management. - The challenge seeks cultural authenticity across original and synthetic media. - Eros wants secure, interoperable infrastructure that can fit into existing workflows. - Selected innovators will test their technologies through defined Eros use cases using Eros-controlled assets, records and legal permissions. - Proposed solutions should scale across assets, rights types, territories, platforms and cultural AI workflows. - Successful applicants will pitch to Eros Innovation and Innovate UK Business Connect. - Selected solutions may move to a focused proof of concept. - The proof-of-concept period is expected to run for about three months. - Each selected solution could receive £25,000 to £50,000, subject to scope and approval. - Eros is seeking up to four solutions to pilot.

Between the lines: - The challenge shows how fast the AI debate is shifting from model performance to governance, licensing and provenance. - Eros is positioning cultural assets as infrastructure, not just content, which raises the value of rights-cleared libraries in AI development. - Innovate UK Business Connect is using the challenge format to connect UK startups and researchers with real-world commercial pathways. - Ridhima Lulla, Co-President of Eros Innovation, said the goal is to make rights, provenance, identity and consent part of the infrastructure itself. - Babar Javed, Knowledge Transfer Manager - Global Alliance at Innovate UK Business Connect, said the program is aimed at practical solutions for trusted cultural AI.

What's next: - Eros Innovation and Innovate UK Business Connect will review applicants and invite selected teams to pitch. - Promising proposals may progress into a proof of concept using Eros assets and permissions. - Successful projects could lead to adoption, licensing, partnership, commercial engagement or investment.

The bottom line: - The challenge is a concrete test of whether cultural AI can be built with rights and authenticity embedded from the start, not added later.