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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Sean O'Grady (PA)

Doctor Who showrunner slams BBC boss for praising AI-generated episode

  • Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has publicly criticised BBC Director-General Matt Brittin after he described an unofficial, AI-generated episode of the sci-fi series as "pretty good".
  • Speaking on BBC Radio 4's The Media Show, Davies labelled Brittin's remarks at the Royal Television Society conference as "clumsy" and warned that human artists and writers are the first to be affected by such statements.
  • Brittin, a former Google executive who became BBC director-general in March 2026, later acknowledged the backlash and clarified that the BBC must stand for human trust, insisting that humans should lead technology.
  • Davies expressed shock over reports that some screenwriters are using AI prompts to produce initial script drafts, raising concerns that the technology could eventually replace human writers altogether.
  • Addressing the future of Doctor Who , Davies revealed that production featuring a brand-new Doctor and companion will begin in the summer of next year.

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