Brian Sewell’s estate ‘delighted’ with one-off AI resurrection of Standard column

Brian Sewell

The Evening Standard has confirmed reports its first play version will characteristic an AI-written reappraisal successful nan style of its erstwhile creation professional Brian Sewell, who died successful 2015.

Paul Kanareck, nan interim main executive of nan newspaper, said Sewell’s property “are delighted” pinch nan “experimental” review.

[Latest: Weekly London Standard launches pinch AI Keir Starmer beforehand page]

Having printed its last regular version past week nan Standard is group to relaunch connected Thursday arsenic a play publication named The London Standard.

Deadline reported connected Tuesday that nan Standard “has been making plans to revive its erstwhile writer utilizing artificial intelligence”, assigning a bot to constitute a reappraisal of a Van Gogh accumulation launched astatine The National Gallery this period arsenic though it were Sewell.

Some commentators connected X reacted poorly to nan news, describing nan virtual reanimation arsenic “ghastly” aliases “calculatedly offensive” and asking whether Sewell’s property had been consulted.

Kanareck told Press Gazette: “The London Standard is simply a bold and disruptive caller publication.

“The first version has aggregate features connected AI and London’s cardinal domiciled successful this tech revolution.

“It includes an experimental AI reappraisal by our legendary professional Brian Sewell, and his property are delighted.”

Asked whether nan reappraisal mightiness go a recurring feature, Kanareck said it was “a one-off intended to provoke chat astir AI and journalism”.

The Standard began phasing retired its regular version successful July, first cutting its Monday and Friday people runs. The alteration has resulted successful important redundancies: successful early July nan business said it was readying to make astir 66 editorial redundancies, balanced to astir half nan editorial unit employed by nan regular Standard.

Kanareck wrote to unit past week connected nan time of nan last Evening Standard people tally saying that nan business “is now connected a caller and breathtaking path, but we stay profoundly conscious of nan alteration galore colleagues faced complete nan summer. We wish each those leaving only nan very champion for nan future”.

The caller play title has struck a woody pinch chap London freesheet City AM that will spot nan business insubstantial move into nan distribution bins nan Standard is leaving vacant for overmuch of nan week.

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