But these commercial mediators of news don't have the kind of editorial checks and balances public service broadcasts apply. 

Devichand said the BBC's aim isn't to compete with these kind of devices but to use the tech to provide a service to deliver unbiased content.

Commercial devices, he said, respond to questions people ask and give answers that they think they want.

He said that the BBC wants to create a conversation with people. The BBC is not trying to be a rival to Google Home, Alexa or Siri, he said.According to statistics a third of Americans and 26 percent of UK adults own smart speakers. East Asia will show a growth rate of 82.4 percent.

Devichand said that as many as 80 percent of people don't know of the BBC's cooperation with Amazon Alexa, introduced in 2017.