Smart speakers may be getting more and more popular, but there’s an issue continuing to hold them back voice assistants still have problems understanding accents. This is particularly true in Britain, which despite its small geographic size has a broad range of accents.
This problem is being tackled by the BBC, which is preparing to launch its own voice assistant. As reported in The Guardian, the BBC has pledged that its upcoming assistant will be able to understand regional British accent.
The BBC is planning to launch its own voice assistant that excels at understanding British accents. The assistant, dubbed Beeb, is being developed in-house and will help users interact with online services and find their favorite programming.
Because it is being built by the BBC, there won’t be an attempt to replicate the many features offered by commercial rivals.
“Beeb” will also be the wake word for the assistant, the publication reports, which is scheduled for launch sometime in 2020.
One in five households in the UK own a smart speaker, according to The Guardian, meaning locals are already accustomed to using personal voice assistants. That’s unsurprising, considering smart speakers are sweeping markets worldwide.
