A home assistant that recognises regional accents is to be launched by the BBC.
Unlike Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home, it will not come within a hardware unit, but be built into the BBC’s iPlayer service.
Beeb is said to be the name and ‘wake-word’ of the new product, which will be available on all types of smart devices.
Employees of the broadcaster are being asked to record their voices so ‘Beeb’ can understand them.
Some 20% of British households are now said to have a voice-activated digital assistant, which has led to significant changes in the way people access music and radio.
The BBC is trying to position itself to compete with streaming services such as Amazon and Netflix.
Its subscription streaming joint venture Britbox launches in the final quarter of this year with a content library made up of shows from the BBC and ITV archives.
Its subscription streaming joint venture Britbox launches in the final quarter of this year with a content library made up of shows from the BBC and ITV archives.
Amazon and Chinese firm Baidu have a 43% share of the global home assistant market between them according to a new report and are spending heavily to improve their position further.
A spokesperson for the BBC said the new digital assistant would allow it to experiment with new programmes, features and experiences without needing someone else’s permission.