BBC developing alternative to Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant

[grimreeper132]

Quick Disclamier

This is a rumour because the main source here is the Daily Mail (who have "sources" none of which are public) and all other sources I have checked pretty much use the Daily Mail as their main source meaning take this with a pinch of salt, I also can't find any information abrout it on the BBC website itself.

As the title says the BBC designing an alternative voice-Activated Assistant called "Auntie" (The name is going to change on release I believe.... luckily)

Quote

The assistant would be available to download free on smartphones and smart TVs in the UK. It would allow users to seek information across the internet by issuing a verbal instruction.

For example, users could ask the app to get weather reports, play the most recent episode of The Archers or work out the quickest route to work. 

The assistant would be available to download free on smartphones and smart TVs in the UK. It would allow users to seek information across the internet by issuing a verbal instruction.
It would be your trusted guide to information, education and entertainment. That's what these assistants are becoming – Siri or Alexa or Google.'

[1]

So the goal from the sounds of the goal here the assistant would have similar if not the same permissions, abilities and controls to the 3 main assistants at the moment and seams to be (at least initally) UK only, but I can see it being expanded to include other countries if it is a successful project which people start using.

 

Quote

It is not yet clear how the BBC would make it available on smart speakers like those sold by Amazon and Google. 

But it could come pre-loaded on the devices if the corporation can get the backing of regulators to force the tech giants to open up their systems.

[1]

I am ok with the BBC creatign their own version of the smart speaker with "auntie" (that name just keeps getting worse) but I have a feeling that if the BBC does this by regulatory restaint that the end result could be that the implimentation of their new assistant will not be particularly good.

 

Overall I think if this is real and is happening this is a good thing as it means that there is an alternative to tech giants which has a good trusted reputaion (in general), who I have a feeling will give you almost if not full control over what data is sent to them (although that could turn out to be false) I personally would trust the BBC over google, apple or amazon and I personally don't use these devices but I think that if the BBC creates this and it is both popular and not completely useless it might be successful. Especially if it can understand the Scots.

sources
1- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6991201/BBC-develops-voice-activated-assistant-bid-rival-Amazons-Alexa-Apples-Siri.html
2- https://www.anglenews.com/2019/05/04/bbc-develops-a-voice-activated-assistant-in-a-bid-to-rival-amazons-alexa-or-apples-siri/ (uses the [1] as it's main source)

Also side note, if this is real what should the BBC call the assistant, and apart from "Daddy" is their any names which are worse than "Auntie" for an assistant?

[Bouzoo]

Auntie. I can't see anything absolutely wrong with that. Who's gonna come up with daddy? 

[MeatFeastMan]

Oh no...can you not BBC. I don't need the left wing bias in my ears thanks very much. All people in the UK who are looking at this, here's my message: DONT.

 

The BBC will want to spy on us and send us left wing nonsense. That's what this is about.

 

 

[Trixanity]

8 minutes ago, Bouzoo said:

Auntie. I can't see anything absolutely wrong with that. Who's gonna come up with daddy? 

GoDaddy Assistant?

[Spotty]

6 minutes ago, grimreeper132 said:

As the title says the BBC designing an alternative voice-Activated Assistant called "Auntie" (The name is going to change on release I believe.... luckily) 

Do people in Britain refer to the BBC as "Auntie"? Or is that just an Australian thing with the ABC? Might explain the name.

 

7 minutes ago, grimreeper132 said:

The assistant would be available to download free on smartphones and smart TVs in the UK. It would allow users to seek information across the internet by issuing a verbal instruction.

For example, users could ask the app to get weather reports, play the most recent episode of The Archers or work out the quickest route to work. 

Okay... But why? The other assistants can already do this and much more.
I've never used it but I'm pretty sure my smart TV already lets you use voice activations to search for shows and movies and stuff. Assuming that the TV has the built in functionality of a mic and speech to text processing needed for the app to work, then it probably already has some form of its own 'assistant' already built in. Really all I see this BBC "Auntie" doing is tie itself to the BBC ecosystem (it's shows, radio, news, etc).

inb4 the BBC just wants to monitor all of your conversations so it knows if you are paying your TV license or not.
 

1 minute ago, Bouzoo said:

Auntie. I can't see anything absolutely wrong with that. Who's gonna come up with daddy? 

They tried that name in beta testing. Too many false activations

[Sauron]

1 hour ago, MeatFeastMan said:

The BBC will want to spy on us and send us left wing nonsense. That's what this is about.

Lol, are you under the impression that siri, google assistant & co DON'T spy on you?

[MeatFeastMan]

1 minute ago, Sauron said:

Lol, are you under the impression that siri, google assistant & co DON'T spy you?

No, not at all. But let me tell you, you think Amazon, Google, Apple etc are bad? Wait till you see the BBC come along. They are the most biased left-wing organisation in the UK, along with The Guardian. They want to spout out rubbish to people, that's what the intention of this product is. Why else would they enter a space where the big global companies are dominating? It's clear as day imo, they want to spy on us INTENTIONALLY and influence us with left-wing garbage. Amazon, Google and Apple don't have that as their primary intention. Their primary intention is to sell them and make money. The BBC's is not.

[grimreeper132]

11 minutes ago, Spotty said:

Do people in Britain refer to the BBC as "Auntie"? Or is that just an Australian thing with the ABC? Might explain the name.

 

Okay... But why? The other assistants can already do this and much more.
I've never used it but I'm pretty sure my smart TV already lets you use voice activations to search for shows and movies and stuff. Assuming that the TV has the built in functionality of a mic and speech to text processing needed for the app to work, then it probably already has some form of its own 'assistant' already built in. Really all I see this BBC "Auntie" doing is tie itself to the BBC ecosystem (it's shows, radio, news, etc).

inb4 the BBC just wants to monitor all of your conversations so it knows if you are paying your TV license or not.
 

They tried that name in beta testing. Too many false activations

no the BBC is just the BBC or (ifyour a cunt) the beebs. The only reason I can see of them trying this is they want an alternative which doesn't spy on your or more likely the people who spy on you aren't trying to sell you stuff so it's not as bad. I personally think that the BBC is better than lets say google, but yea. I also hope they don't tie it to heir ecosystem and do use other systems.

[Sauron]

21 minutes ago, MeatFeastMan said:

It's clear as day imo, they want to spy on us INTENTIONALLY

Sure, 'cause google does it by accident.

21 minutes ago, MeatFeastMan said:

They are the most biased left-wing organisation in the UK, along with The Guardian. They want to spout out rubbish to people, that's what the intention of this product is.

So... don't use it? Brainwashing plots for world domination usually don't come in the form of something you can simply ignore.

21 minutes ago, MeatFeastMan said:

Amazon, Google and Apple don't have that as their primary intention. Their primary intention is to sell them and make money.

Which ironically is done through manipulating you into buying stuff.

[PlayStation 2]

Are they gonna convince the UK government to tax you for anything with an assistant now?

[RejZoR]

1 hour ago, Sauron said:

Lol, are you under the impression that siri, google assistant & co DON'T spy you?

That's debatable for Siri. There is no doubt for all the others.

[Sauron]

Just now, RejZoR said:

That's debatable for Siri. There is no doubt for all the others.

It's unquestionable that Siri sends your query data to Apple so they can improve the system. Whether Apple then sells that information or tries to identify you is beyond the point - they're still using your private data for their own benefit.

[mr moose]

45 minutes ago, Sauron said:

 

So... don't use it? Brainwashing plots for world domination usually don't come in the form of something you can simply ignore.

 

But they do come through a massive organization pretending to be unbiased and only reporting the facts as gathered.   If the bbc is anything like the ABC here in Australia then they likely have an equality of outcome quota, a tight control over which stories get reported in their current affairs programs and even tighter control over which people are on them.

 

When it comes to publishing certain views and promoting a narrative (regardless of what it is) then an option not to listen doesn't lessen the effect it has on society.

[RejZoR]

7 minutes ago, Sauron said:

It's unquestionable that Siri sends your query data to Apple so they can improve the system. Whether Apple then sells that information or tries to identify you is beyond the point - they're still using your private data for their own benefit.

I'm not sure that's the case. Siri falls under the iCloud and that has separate analytics settings. Now, the query goes to Siri, there is no question with that, but if your input gets used to improve it seems to be a separate thing. You can be using Siri without accepting that. Where with Google, just using the assistant automatically means they can use all your data to make it "better". And to make their profits better...

[porina]

1, it's reported by the Mail so I'd trust it appropriately. That is, not at all.

2, the BBC is a complex organisation, with cushy funding for its core UK TV services, and they're constantly looking to expand beyond that. Often by arguing for even more funding. If they are working on a personal assistant it would be contributing to part of that. They are long overdue a substantial review of its charter in how they operate and funded, as they currently exist in a space that is neither public nor private. I don't just mean what they should get as funding, but what their scope could or should be.

[Sauron]

13 minutes ago, mr moose said:

But they do come through a massive organization pretending to be unbiased and only reporting the facts as gathered.

A media outlet is politically biased? Say it ain't so!

14 minutes ago, mr moose said:

When it comes to publishing certain views and promoting a narrative (regardless of what it is) then an option not to listen doesn't lessen the effect it has on society.

So what's your solution? Ban journalism? I know a guy with a weird haircut who'd love that.

 

Besides, it's delusional to believe any corporation doesn't have political leanings - they're around to make money, if they believe that promoting the status quo (as they often do) or any other position makes them more money they'll do that.

19 minutes ago, RejZoR said:

I'm not sure that's the case. Siri falls under the iCloud and that has separate analytics settings. Now, the query goes to Siri, there is no question with that, but if your input gets used to improve it seems to be a separate thing. You can be using Siri without accepting that.

Big whoop, there's no way to know if Apple actually respects any of that. It's a closed source system and they could lie to your face without you ever knowing. Your data is still going to a megacorp you have no control over; that's an invasion of privacy. If nothing else Google is pretty open about it. Apple also only started to express "concerns" over this when it became clear they couldn't beat Google at their own game and needed to provide some excuse for the inferior performance of their systems.

[RejZoR]

It's not an excuse, it's a feature Btw, I've predicted the privacy thing quite long ago before Apple started going that way.

[Teddy07]

BBC

[FiveSquared25]

2 hours ago, MeatFeastMan said:

Oh no...can you not BBC. I don't need the left wing bias in my ears thanks very much. All people in the UK who are looking at this, here's my message: DONT.

 

The BBC will want to spy on us and send us left wing nonsense. That's what this is about.

 

 

Same thing with Google. They don’t have that mush left wing bias. Besides, you don’t need the BBC to tell you that Brexit is not going well (if y’all fully leave, RIP economy if you stay what’s the point since 2016!)

[Teddy07]

2 minutes ago, FiveSquared25 said:

Same thing with Google. They don’t have that mush left wing bias.

1

You can´t be serious

[FiveSquared25]

Just now, Teddy07 said:

You can´t be serious

I am. Google is also baised.

[Bouzoo]

Thread went well as one might expect.

[ThePointblank]

Can to speak to us using David Attenborough's voice?

[Tristerin]

I read the title totally wrong.  Totally.

[cj09beira]

5 hours ago, grimreeper132 said:

no the BBC is just the BBC or (ifyour a cunt) the beebs. The only reason I can see of them trying this is they want an alternative which doesn't spy on your or more likely the people who spy on you aren't trying to sell you stuff so it's not as bad. I personally think that the BBC is better than lets say google, but yea. I also hope they don't tie it to heir ecosystem and do use other systems.

government spying on you or giant corporation larger than everything, rip.

4 hours ago, FiveSquared25 said:

Same thing with Google. They don’t have that mush left wing bias. Besides, you don’t need the BBC to tell you that Brexit is not going well (if y’all fully leave, RIP economy if you stay what’s the point since 2016!)

the lack of balls on uks part is apparent, though, i do think that being sovereign is much more important than a bit less growth