What’s All the Fuss About?
Does this mean the BBC is an uncle, not an auntie?
Beeb
What is it?
A new tool from the BBC that responds to your voice commands.
Like Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri you mean?
Yes. By starting commands with ‘OK Beeb’, you can ask it to perform simple tasks, such as play radio stations, music, podcasts, news and weather, and ask more complicated questions with answers taken from BBC programmes. It can also tell jokes from comedies, and provide facts from shows like QI.
Is the BBC building a smart speaker for it?
No. The BBC wants it to run on its existing services, like iplayer and Sounds, through devices made by others. It’ll start on Windows computers, before being added to TVS, phones and smart speakers.
Can I try it now?
Only if you’re signed up to the Windows Insider Programme. Beeb is still in beta, so the BBC wants early users to test it and provide feedback ( Beeb.feedback@bbc.co.uk ) before it launches fully - probably later this year, or early next.
How can I become a Windows Insider?
By visiting https://insider.windows.com/en-gb and following the instructions. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll need to make sure your computer is running the May 2020 Update, and then install the
Beeb app from the Microsoft Store ( www. snipca.com/35091, pictured below left). Microsoft has helped the BBC build the artificial intelligence that Beeb uses to understand voices.
And what kind of voice does Beeb have?
Now that’s an interesting question that leads us into the troubled waters of identity politics.
Oh dear, does it?
We’re afraid so. The BBC has chosen a male voice with an accent from the north of England. Andy Webb, BBC’S head of product for voice and AI, describes it as a “warm and friendly” voice that reflects “the diversity of the audience in the UK”. He wanted a break “from that traditional southern RP (Received Pronunciation) that is traditional with all broadcasters”. And the fact that it’s male is also significant.
Why?
Because many people have accused tech companies of sexism by choosing female voices for their voice assistants (Alexa and Siri, for example). They say it perpetuates a historical stereotype that women are subservient and expected to carry out the wishes of others. Webb said he wanted to avoid those “problematic associations”.
But wouldn’t those same people have also complained if voice assistants were only male?
Yes, probably. It’s hard to win in today’s identity wars. The BBC will come under fire from both sides, so it will have to tread carefully. We expect it’ll add female (and gender-neutral) voices in future, as well as accents from other parts of the UK - anything to avoid causing offence.
Is it an actual person’s voice?
Yes, it’s a synthesised version of an actor’s voice, though not a famous one (it’s definitely not Sean Bean, Patrick Stewart or Christopher Eccleston). We’re not experts on accents, but we think we can hear a Staffordshire twang to the voice, or maybe Cheshire (listen for yourself at www.snipca.com/35098). The northern accent is particularly noticeable in the word ‘podcast’, which is pronounced with a short ‘a’, not the long ‘a’ of southern speech.
Does that mean Beeb can understand only northern accents?
No. The BBC has been “working hard” to make sure Beeb will understand anyone from Dover to Dumfries, from Barry to Bury. When you download the beta version, you’ll be asked what accent you have so your voice can be used to help train Beeb. Start practising your diction now.