BBC News appoints former Meta exec as AI director

BBC News has appointed Meta’s director for media partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region as its director for AI, innovation and growth.  

Starting in September Anjali Kapoor will oversee AI adoption and lead the division’s digital growth strategy in the UK and globally. She will also join the BBC News board. 

The appointment follows a reshaping of BBC News this year which saw the launch of an AI department and the unification of all editorial news output under a single leader. The team includes existing digital development and growth, social and weather teams. 

As well as working at Meta, where she partnered with media organisations and grew a third-party fact-checking partnership program, Kapoor has held strategic senior leadership positions at international newsrooms including The Globe and Mail, Yahoo!, and Bloomberg Media.  

Since leaving Meta, she has been based in Singapore consulting with businesses and media organisation leaders on how to embed AI responsibly.  

Kapoor said: “I’m honoured to be joining the BBC, one of the world’s most trusted news organisations, at such a pivotal moment for journalism.   

“As director of AI, innovation and growth, I look forward to working with Deborah [Turness, BBC News chief executive], the News Board and all teams across BBC News to build on its strong legacy of public service journalism while accelerating how we engage new audiences, adopt AI responsibly, and tell impactful stories in a fast-changing digital landscape.” 

“Throughout my career, I’ve worked internationally at the intersection of media, technology and business leading audience and product strategies while also aligning innovation with editorial integrity, trust and long-term sustainability. I’m excited to bring this global perspective to the BBC, helping to drive meaningful change at the forefront of our industry, ensuring BBC journalism remains relevant, inclusive and future-ready.” 

Deborah Turness, chief executive of BBC News, said: “This is a critical role as we transform BBC News to be fit for the future, using AI to enhance our journalism, growing audiences - particularly under-25s.  

“Anjali’s deep knowledge of how news works, her future-focused approach to AI and her deep understanding of product and platforms make her uniquely positioned to lead this work.”