The BBC is turning towards artificial intelligence to improve their programming lineup. The announcement comes from their Research and Development team, outlining a five-year initiative to find out what audiences truly want.They are getting help from several experts including data scientists from UK universities as well as other media companies in Europe. These partner colleges include:
- Bristol University
- Manchester University
- Edinburgh University
- Imperial College London
- Queen Mary University of London
- Ulster University
- University College London
BBC Reinvented
According to the company, this is all in an attempt to create “a more personal BBC”. This is not unlike NetFlix’ profiles although significantly more accurate. It aims to curate content and classify into particular niches for each viewer. It will also similarly suggest shows which might be of interest. The researchers hope to collect and analyze user data so that they can tailor algorithms personally. This will apply to both digital and traditional broadcasting content moving forward.
Matthew Postgate, the BBC’s CTO says that they “can see the opportunities that data and machine learning are opening up”. He means both for the creative talent and the audiences, so this project is benefitting all rather than just viewers. The move also allows them to create shows and better compete with rival media outlets and NetFlix from the data gathered.
