Why is the BBC launching a voice assistant?
‘Beeb’ will focus on regional accent recognition to stand out from Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant
The BBC is launching its own digital voice assistant in a move that will see it go head-to-head with tech giants Amazon and Google.
The system, which has the working title “Beeb”, will take the form of voice assistance software that can be accessed through a host of smart speakers, phones and TVs, rather than a dedicated piece of hardware such as an Amazon Echo, the BBC says.
Users can wake the system by saying the word “Beeb”, followed by a command, the broadcaster says. However, the wake word is still under review and may change when the service launches next year.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What is Beeb and how will it work?
Simply put, it’s the BBC’s answer to the likes of Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant.
According to TechRadar, the service will initially be built into the broadcaster’s website and serve as a tool that lets users navigate its iPlayer catch-up service hands-free. It will also make its way on to other devices, although it’s up to hardware makers as to whether they bundle the software into their products.
It may seem odd that a broadcaster would want to rival some of the world’s biggest tech giants, but the BBC argues that the service will help it “experiment with new programmes, features and experiences without someone else’s permission to build it in a certain way”, the Mirror reports.
Why regional accents - and data - are key to Beeb’s success
Given that the broadcaster is going up against a multibillion-dollar industry, it’s had to think outside the box to set itself apart from the competition.
The BBC has pledged to create a system that will understand regional accents, as some US-based voice assistants are notoriously bad at detecting certain dialects, The Guardian says.
Over the next week, the BBC will ask staff in its offices across the UK to record their voices and ensure that the assistant can understand them, the newspaper says.
Plus, with about 20% of households in Britain having some form of device with voice assistant features, the broadcaster plans to collect data from Beeb users to help improve the system’s receptiveness to accents.
Kieran Clifton, head of distribution & business development at the BBC, said the system could be vital to its programming schedule, too.
“Data is more and more important – as it helps us to make more types of programmes we know people like, and equally importantly, identify gaps in our commissioning to ensure we’re making something for all audiences,” he told the Mirror.
“We also use the data collected about what you watch, listen to or read online to offer personalised programme recommendations,” Clifton added.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The mental health crisis affecting vets
Under The Radar Death of Hampshire vet highlights mental health issues plaguing the industry
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The Onion is having a very ironic laugh with Infowars
The Explainer The satirical newspaper is purchasing the controversial website out of bankruptcy
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
'Rahmbo, back from Japan, will be looking for a job? Really?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
What Trump's win could mean for Big Tech
Talking Points The tech industry is bracing itself for Trump's second administration
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Google Maps gets an AI upgrade to compete with Apple
Under the Radar The Google-owned Waze, a navigation app, will be getting similar upgrades
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Is ChatGPT's new search engine OpenAI's Google 'killer'?
Talking Point There's a new AI-backed search engine in town. But can it stand up to Google's decades-long hold on internet searches?
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Teen suicide puts AI chatbots in the hot seat
In the spotlight A Florida mom has targeted custom AI chatbot platform Character.AI and Google in a lawsuit over her son's death
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
'Stunningly lifelike' AI podcasts are here
Under the Radar Users are amazed – and creators unnerved – by Google tool that generates human conversation from text in moments
By Abby Wilson Published
-
OpenAI eyes path to 'for-profit' status as more executives flee
In the spotlight The tension between creating technology for humanity's sake and collecting a profit is coming to a head for the creator of ChatGPT
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Microsoft's Three Mile Island deal: How Big Tech is snatching up nuclear power
In the spotlight The company paid for access to all the power made by the previously defunct nuclear plant
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
How will the introduction of AI change Apple's iPhone?
Today's Big Question 'Apple Intelligence' is set to be introduced on the iPhone 16 as part of iOS 18
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published