The BBC is developing its own voice assistant, which should become a competitor to Alexa and Siri. The new product, as in the case of other assistants, is positioned as a character. Currently the project has a working title of Auntie (“Auntie”), but before the launch the name will be changed to a more modern one. About this with reference to observers edition of the Daily Mail.
According to insiders, the system will be available for free download on smartphones and smart TVs, that is, most likely, the new product will be developed for Android. Nothing is said about the appearance of assemblies for other OSes. The assistant will initially be introduced in the UK, but it is not yet clear whether the assistant will be released outside the country. It is also unknown whether it will be offered as the main system on end devices.
Functionally, “Auntie” will be similar to Google Assistant, Siri and others, that is, it will allow you to recognize voice commands, search for information about the weather, and so on, and also voice it. More details on this topic are expected to emerge by the time of release. However, we note that the project is in the early stages of development and has not yet received final approval. However, the corporation's management believes that the new product can be launched before the end of 2020.
According to the publication, this will be an attempt by the largest British media outlet to break away from the control of Amazon, Apple and Google, which often price their own products higher than competitors. Thus, the British want to distance themselves from American companies. Note that a number of companies in Russia and abroad are already developing their own voice and virtual assistants that simplify doing business, supporting users, and so on.