London’s ‘Evening Standard’ Newspaper to Revive Art Critic Brian Sewell with AI Amid Staff Cuts

EXCLUSIVE: He was one of the most feared and revered British art critics of his generation — and now, nearly a decade after his death, Brian Sewell could be about to wield his pen once more.

Deadline understands that London’s historic Evening Standard newspaper has been making plans to revive its former writer using artificial intelligence.

Two sources said AI Sewell has been assigned to review The National Gallery’s new Vincent van Gogh exhibition, titled Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers.

One person said the plans were discussed at the highest level of the Standard and in consultation with Lord Lebedev, the newspaper’s proprietor. Dylan Jones, editor-in-chief of the Standard, did not respond to requests for comment.

The idea is part of an attempt to reinvent the Standard, a 197-year-old institution, after it stopped daily presses last week. It will pivot to weekly editions from Thursday.

The embrace of AI has raised eyebrows among staff after the Standard made around 150 layoffs, including 70 editorial roles, as part of the move to weekly editions.

Sewell, who died in 2015 at the age of 84, worked for the Standard for more than 30 years and was renowned for his biting critiques.

Known as Britain’s poshest art critic, he described a Damien Hirst exhibition as “detestable” and said Banksy should have been “put down at birth.” He once said there has “never been a first-rank woman artist” and “only men are capable of aesthetic greatness.”

He was a regular on British television, fronting documentaries including 2005’s Brian Sewell’s Grand Tour, in which he journeyed through Italy for Paramount-owned Channel 5.

Other documentaries included Channel 4’s Dirty Dalí: A Private View, while he featured twice on BBC topical comedy show Have I Got News for You.