We're using AI to help you find better results
We're introducing advanced technologies to make Search more accurate, relevant, and intuitive. Here are some examples:
Learning what works: smarter ranking with data signals
When you type some words or characters into search, we use that to find a set of potentially relevant results, and rank them with the aim of making the best results appear at the top of your results. We are currently testing on iPlayer and Sounds on mobile apps, TV and the web to see which signals make the most difference鈥攕ignals such as which content is popular right now, and which results were clicked on by other people who typed similar things into search. Over time, as we learn which signals work best, you're more likely to see the results you're really looking for, faster.
Smarter search that understands what you mean
We know how annoying it is when you search for something and the results don't match what you really wanted. That's because traditional search looks only at the words you type, not the meaning behind them. We're starting to test a new way to search called semantic search, which uses AI to understand what you actually mean. This means you'll get results that are more relevant, even if the words don't exactly match. Testing will begin on News webpages in autumn 2025, with the goal of giving you smarter, more relevant, and more helpful results.
Offline evaluation for fairness and quality
Before any AI model goes live, we test it thoroughly using offline evaluation. This involves running the model on historical data and measuring how well it performs across different types of queries and users. We look at:
- Relevance and accuracy
- Diversity of results
- Fairness across topics and communities
This helps us catch issues early and continuously improve.
Human oversight
We have a team of people including editors, editorial policy experts, and AI experts reviewing our use of AI and the output from our models. We monitor our models for bias, misinformation, and unintended effects鈥攁nd we welcome your feedback.
What's next?
We're continuing to improve how AI supports your search journey. At the moment, we're thinking about the role of personalisation and Generative AI in search.
Any questions?
We'd love to hear from you! Give search a try, and Contact the 麻豆社 to share your thoughts.