BBC Launching Smart Assistant Add-On That Recognises Regional Dialects

Smart assistants are surely one of the 21st Century's most significant inventions, allowing us to play music, call friends and even find out today's weather with nothing but our voice.

But some British users have claimed American-born devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home have long been unsuitable for their regional accents, adding that they simply do not understand them.

Now, long-suffering Glaswegians, Liverpudlians, Mancunians and more can rest easy as the BBC has announced it's launching its own smart assistant add-on which promises to pick up their different dialects.

PA

The 'Beeb' - a working title for the technology - will be launched as a software add-on to hardware devices such as the Amazon Echo, and will also be available through BBC iPlayer and the BBC website.

It will allow viewers to find their favourite programmes on iPlayer and will work through all mobiles, smart speakers and TVs.

As part of the development, the BBC is asking its staff around the country to record their voices to make sure the software understands them this week.

Like other smart assistants, the broadcaster's iteration will be activated using the wake word 'Beeb'. Just as Amazon uses 'Alexa' and Google Home uses 'Hey Google.'

The BBC currently has no plans to launch a physical product to rival the likes of the slick Amazon Echo or Google Home, the Guardian report.

"With an assistant of its own, the BBC will have the freedom to experiment with new programmes, features and experiences without someone else's permission to build it in a certain way. It will also allow the BBC to be much more ambitious in the content and features that listeners can enjoy," a BBC spokesperson told the paper.

The BBC's voice assistant will be voiced by a single individual, but it's not yet known who this will be.

The country laughed along as videos began circulating online of Scots and Mancs try and failing to get Alexa to understand them, with the US-developed devices only picking up a 'received pronunciation', also called BBC English.

Finally, smart device equality for all accents!

Topics: Entertainment News, BBC, tech, Technology

Ciara Sheppard

Ciara is a freelance journalist working for Tyla. After graduating from the University of Sussex, Ciara worked as a writer at GLAMOUR Magazine and later as the Assistant Editor of Yahoo Style UK.

@ciarasheppard