An update on the BBC’s plans for Generative AI (Gen AI) and how we plan to use AI tools responsibly

Published: 28 February 2024

In October 2023, we shared our approach to working with Generative AI (Gen AI) technology and outlined three principles that will shape our approach in this area.

We set out that we would:

• always act in the best interests of the public
• always prioritise talent and creativity
• always be open and transparent with audiences when we use AI to support content-making.

Today I wanted to give you an update on what we've been doing - including the outline of a number of Gen AI test pilots that we're currently working on and details of new guidance that we're providing on the use of AI.

Gen AI Pilots

In October we said that we would start a number of projects that explore the use of Gen AI in both what we make and how we work - taking a targeted approach to better understand both the opportunities and risks.

We've now chosen the first projects, which will help us explore different areas where we think that Gen AI could bring significant benefits for audiences and for staff.

At this stage, the vast majority of the pilots are internal-only and won't be used to create content for audiences until we have had an opportunity to learn more.

There are 12 pilots in total (examples below) across three themes:

1)Maximising value of existing content

2) New Audience experiences

3) Make how we do things quicker and easier

Theme 1: Pilots that maximise value of existing content include:

1)Translating content to make it available to more people

• BBC News are leading this - looking at how we can convert news articles into multiple languages.

2)Reformatting our existing content in a way that widens its appeal

• For example, taking a live sport radio commentary and changing it rapidly to text for BBC Sport's live pages.

Theme 2: Pilots that aim to build new audience experiences include:

1)A BBC Assistant

• A new BBC Assistant - The team are look at the potential for chatbots to provide interactive and tailored learning on BBC Bitesize.

2)More personalised marketing

• We're exploring how Gen AI could help create more personalised text, images and video in the marketing of our content and services to audiences.

Theme 3: Pilots that aim to do things quicker and easier include:

1) Supporting journalists

• We'll be exploring how we could equip our journalists with Gen AI tools that help them work more quickly. For example, a 'headline helper' - which could give journalists options of headlines to choose from, or the ability to summarise an article - to link to elsewhere.

2)Streamlining how we organise and label our content

• We'll exploring how Gen AI can help teams find content within our programmes through things like better labelling - which will help them create new forms of content more quickly - e.g. A clip or collection of certain moments within a programme/programmes.

We will experiment in each of these areas over the next few months, testing and learning as we go. We'll see what works, what doesn't - and make a call on what we take forward. It'll be exciting to see how this develops.

A responsible approach to using AIat the BBC

In October, we shared clear guiding principles to ensure we use Gen AI technology responsibly at the BBC.  

As a reminder, our principles commit to harnessing the new technology to support our public mission, to prioritising talent and creativity, and being open and transparent with our audiences whenever and wherever we deploy Gen AI.  

Since then, we have updated the BBC's Editorial Guidance on the use of AI. This is for all content-makers to ensure any use of AI supports our editorial value. They have been designed to ensure we never undermine the trust of our audience, and to ensure that all AI usage has active human oversight.

There's lots going on and we'll be providing updates on this activity as it progresses.

Thanks for reading.  

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