Russell T. Davies calls BBC boss's AI Doctor Who remark "clumsy"

Russell T. Davies has criticised BBC director general Matt Brittin for calling a fully AI-generated episode of Doctor Who "pretty good".

Davies said the comment was "a clumsy thing to say" from the head of a broadcaster that employs writers and artists. He made the remarks on BBC Radio 4's The Media Show, as reported on 14 October by Variety.

Brittin had told the Royal Television Society conference that someone had sent him a fully AI-generated episode of the long-running science-fiction series. He described it as "pretty good", while adding that it was "not going to replace humans". Brittin later said he had "got into trouble" over the remarks.

Davies did not hold back. He said writers and artists take the blow first when new technology arrives. He added that Brittin had not worked in television for that long and might not be so "fruity with an opinion" in future. Brittin joined the BBC recently after a career at Google.

For people making television, this hits a nerve. AI tools can write dialogue and mimic familiar characters in seconds. The jobs behind a series still sit with people.

The row lands while Doctor Who is between chapters. Davies revived the series in 2005 and returned to run it again in 2023. He has announced he will step back from the show. Disney+ has departed as a co-financier, meaning a partner that shared the production cost.

The BBC has cancelled the planned Christmas special. It has instead launched a competitive tender, meaning an open call for producers to pitch their vision for a reboot. Jed Mercurio, the creator of Line of Duty, has submitted interest in bidding.

Davies said production featuring a brand-new Doctor and a brand-new companion will start to be seen in summer next year. Brittin has said the BBC is "working hard" on regenerating the show, according to BBC News.