Public Media & AI Innovation: Reflections from the ground on enculturing and negotiating public service values

Public service media provision is being reshaped by existing and emerging AI technologies which have not been designed in line with public media values. In this paper we discuss how traditional public media values are being interpreted, negotiated, operationalised and challenged in relation to AI tools and technologies.
The study of values and their connection to responsible technology development is a core focus of STS research. Drawing on the authors' situated practice and research undertaken at the BBC, the UK’s largest public service broadcaster, this paper reflects on how long-held values of public service media (e.g. accuracy, universality, transparency, diversity) are being called upon, reimagined, and challenged through organisational approaches to AI. We discuss which values and voices are centred and de-centred in relation to AI innovation and examine the possibilities and struggles that emerge from attempts to extend and apply public media values to AI technologies, honing-in on instances of value tensions and contentions.
This paper offers a series of reflections from multiple research and innovation engagements with industry practitioners - through the lens of situated research practice aimed at advancing responsible and value aligned AI. Through reflections on how values are intertwined with emerging AI strategy and entangled in the mundane practices and choices involved in the development, design and deployment of AI tools, we critically consider the role of values in public media technology and innovation cultures.