The BBC is set to invest millions in artificial intelligence to enhance its educational offerings and engage future generations of licence-fee payers. Following increased reliance on BBC Bitesize by parents during pandemic lockdowns, the BBC plans to allocate £6 million to transform the platform into a more personalised and interactive learning experience for students from primary school onwards. This investment aims to strengthen the broadcaster’s relationship with younger audiences.

Helen Foulkes, the BBC’s head of education, highlighted the intention to evolve BBC Bitesize from a trusted digital textbook into a dynamic learning platform tailored to individual users. This initiative aligns with the broadcaster’s goal to modernise its education service for the digital age.

Commemorating the 100th anniversary of its first educational broadcast in 1924, the BBC will host a special Live Lesson on CBBC and BBC iPlayer. This session will provide young viewers with insights on creating their own reports for the channel’s Hacker T Dog radio show, reinforcing the BBC’s reputation as a reliable educational resource.

Recognizing the competitive landscape with agile digital content providers, the BBC plans to leverage AI-powered learning tools like Duolingo to optimise its extensive educational content database. New tools in development are expected to offer personalised testing, identify learning gaps, and suggest additional content to deepen subject understanding.

Additionally, the BBC is piloting a new service for A-level students, initially focused on English literature. For instance, students studying Jane Austen may receive recommendations for a BBC adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice” to supplement their learning.

Despite the £6 million investment being relatively small compared to the BBC’s £700 million annual savings target, it reflects the broadcaster’s commitment to innovation, as emphasised by BBC director general Tim Davie. While ruling out AI in journalism, the BBC aims to develop ethical algorithms to enhance user personalization, aligning with its founding purpose to “inform, educate, entertain.”