BBC tapped to stop Britain being baffled by AI

Gov wants broadcaster to revive 1980s computer literacy magic – and maybe flog its archives to tech giants

The UK government wants the BBC to help Brits understand AI and develop basic technology skills as part of the public broadcaster's next charter period.

In its charter review published on December 16, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) says it wants the Beeb to become a "trusted guide" in navigating technological change.

"In particular, we want the BBC to support basic and universal skills on the one hand, and on the other to help the public understand AI, engage with it constructively and understand its impacts."

This could include teaching people to recognize AI-generated content, assess its reliability, and learn basic prompting skills.

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 ...