BBC tapped to stop Britain being baffled by AI

"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 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, selling more than 1.5 million units."

"Acorn 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."

"DCMS also wants the BBC to explain how it uses AI internally - something the corporation has already committed to through 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 AI chatbots often can't reliably summarize BBC news stories."

DCMS wants the BBC to act as a trusted guide during technological change, supporting basic and universal technology skills and helping the public understand and engage with AI. The BBC is expected to teach people to recognize AI-generated content, assess its reliability, and learn basic prompting skills. The proposal recalls the BBC's Computer Literacy Project and its role in co-developing the BBC Micro, which helped launch Acorn and later the Arm processor used in billions of devices. DCMS also asks for transparency about the BBC's internal AI use and explores alternative funding models for the next charter.

Read at Theregister