BBC tapped to stop Britain being baffled by AI
(2025/12/18)
- Reference: 1766052066
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/12/18/bbc_ai_explain/
- Source link:
The UK government wants the BBC to help Brits understand AI and develop basic technology skills as part of the public broadcaster's next charter period.
In its [1]charter review published on December 16, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) says it wants the Beeb to become a "trusted guide" in navigating technological change.
"In particular, we want the BBC to support basic and universal skills on the one hand, and on the other to help the public understand AI, engage with it constructively and understand its impacts."
[2]
This could include teaching people to recognize AI-generated content, assess its reliability, and learn basic prompting skills.
[3]
[4]
The aims echo the BBC's Computer Literacy Project, which launched in 1979, contributing to the UK's home computing boom of the 1980s. That initiative produced a series of [5]programmes to educate people about software and hardware, including The Computer Programme, Making the Most of the Micro, and Micro Live.
The project led to co-development of the BBC Microcomputer, which Cambridge-based computer maker Acorn launched in 1981, [6]selling more than 1.5 million units . Acorn [7]developed the Arm processor in 1985, and in 1990 set up Arm as a joint venture with Apple and VLSI Technology. The tech has since been included in more than 325 billion devices.
[8]Students using ChatGPT beware: Real learning takes legwork, study finds
[9]UK's Ministry of Defence pins hopes on AI to stop the next massive email blunder
[10]AI summaries turn real news into nonsense, BBC finds
[11]Apple shrugs off BBC complaint with promise to 'further clarify' AI content
DCMS also wants the BBC to explain how it uses AI internally – something the corporation has already committed to through [12]transparency principles published last year.
The broadcaster is using generative AI to write text for the BBC Sounds app, based on its live radio commentary of some football matches, though its research has found that [13]AI chatbots often can't reliably summarize BBC news stories .
[14]
The charter review, which will shape the BBC's goals for the decade from January 2028, explores alternative funding models including advertising on its UK website or across all platforms, subscriptions for some content, and increased commercial revenues.
DCMS wants to work with the BBC on whether its archives could be used to train AI to generate revenue, and suggests the corporation could use AI to lower its costs as well as supporting smaller public service media organizations in negotiating with AI companies. ®
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/bbc-charter-review-2025-to-2027
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aUPezTnNocGx8l5NdheaNQAAAMc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aUPezTnNocGx8l5NdheaNQAAAMc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aUPezTnNocGx8l5NdheaNQAAAMc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0306370
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2011/11/30/bbc_micro_model_b_30th_anniversary/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/29/arm_40/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/03/chatgpt_real_understanding/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/06/mod_taps_aussie_ai_shop/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/12/bbc_ai_news_accuracy/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/07/apple_responds_bbc_complaint/
[12] https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/articles/2024/update-generative-ai-and-ai-tools-bbc
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/24/bbc_probe_ai_news/
[14] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aUPezTnNocGx8l5NdheaNQAAAMc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
In its [1]charter review published on December 16, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) says it wants the Beeb to become a "trusted guide" in navigating technological change.
"In particular, we want the BBC to support basic and universal skills on the one hand, and on the other to help the public understand AI, engage with it constructively and understand its impacts."
[2]
This could include teaching people to recognize AI-generated content, assess its reliability, and learn basic prompting skills.
[3]
[4]
The aims echo the BBC's Computer Literacy Project, which launched in 1979, contributing to the UK's home computing boom of the 1980s. That initiative produced a series of [5]programmes to educate people about software and hardware, including The Computer Programme, Making the Most of the Micro, and Micro Live.
The project led to co-development of the BBC Microcomputer, which Cambridge-based computer maker Acorn launched in 1981, [6]selling more than 1.5 million units . Acorn [7]developed the Arm processor in 1985, and in 1990 set up Arm as a joint venture with Apple and VLSI Technology. The tech has since been included in more than 325 billion devices.
[8]Students using ChatGPT beware: Real learning takes legwork, study finds
[9]UK's Ministry of Defence pins hopes on AI to stop the next massive email blunder
[10]AI summaries turn real news into nonsense, BBC finds
[11]Apple shrugs off BBC complaint with promise to 'further clarify' AI content
DCMS also wants the BBC to explain how it uses AI internally – something the corporation has already committed to through [12]transparency principles published last year.
The broadcaster is using generative AI to write text for the BBC Sounds app, based on its live radio commentary of some football matches, though its research has found that [13]AI chatbots often can't reliably summarize BBC news stories .
[14]
The charter review, which will shape the BBC's goals for the decade from January 2028, explores alternative funding models including advertising on its UK website or across all platforms, subscriptions for some content, and increased commercial revenues.
DCMS wants to work with the BBC on whether its archives could be used to train AI to generate revenue, and suggests the corporation could use AI to lower its costs as well as supporting smaller public service media organizations in negotiating with AI companies. ®
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/bbc-charter-review-2025-to-2027
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aUPezTnNocGx8l5NdheaNQAAAMc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aUPezTnNocGx8l5NdheaNQAAAMc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aUPezTnNocGx8l5NdheaNQAAAMc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0306370
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2011/11/30/bbc_micro_model_b_30th_anniversary/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/29/arm_40/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/03/chatgpt_real_understanding/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/06/mod_taps_aussie_ai_shop/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/12/bbc_ai_news_accuracy/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/07/apple_responds_bbc_complaint/
[12] https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/articles/2024/update-generative-ai-and-ai-tools-bbc
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/24/bbc_probe_ai_news/
[14] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aUPezTnNocGx8l5NdheaNQAAAMc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
British spelling returns?
may_i
I was almost overjoyed to see "programmes" used in the article.
Then I got to the end and found "organizations".
Oh well. It was good for the short moment it lasted.
BBC & AI(ain't intelligent) are a perfect reason
For cancelling your TV License and ridding your home of their insanity! They've as much chance of unbaffling folks as hell not being on fire!
Perhaps they can get Nandy to mandate all benefits claimants must attend all the courses for a free license then!??!
Barely Believable Cretins are so desperate to waste our money it is a final attempt to justify their existance and a100% #EpicFail on their part..