by Beth Terranova
There are so many things in life, first of all, life itself, to be grateful for, and I have chosen artificial intelligence (AI) as my topic. Using the Be My AI feature in the Be My Eyes app on my iPhone has been a joy and a door opener to more of life. Examples range from reading package directions and hard copy print, getting descriptions of online images and ... critter ID. That one deserves some explanation!
I was sitting in my recliner one afternoon and my foot hit a hard object. I picked up the said surprise, and I thought I knew what it was, but I wanted to find some clue, so I placed it on the table and kept checking to be sure it was there. It was, until it wasn’t. I ran into it, gently stepping on it, a day or two later, near my porch door. This was serious now! I got a little anxious, so I put it in a Ziploc bag and placed it on a table, thinking that I would call the security people in my senior living facility if the bag and thing disappeared. It didn’t, so I somewhat gingerly took a picture with Be My AI and, sure enough, it was what I had thought: a turtle. I had had pet turtles as a kid, and this looked similar.
The available AI tools keep multiplying and improving and this can only advance the lives of the blind, visually impaired and people with other disabilities. The blind benefit from color, people and object identification, light detection, checking food expiration dates, identifying and accessing information about products with either remote or in-person shopping, orientation and mobility apps and combined hardware and software products, indoor navigation, maybe even future screen readers, scene descriptions and hailing a taxi. Examples will continue to emerge. Eye-tracking technology will be a game changer for people who cannot control technology with their hands, as will real-time sign language interpretation for the deaf. Consider the upcoming ability to have AI tell a blind person what is on a screen, necessary when screen readers quit or do not read correctly.
Artificial intelligence will continue to grow in its ability to decrease or eliminate the need for human assistance for people with disabilities, a dream which has been cherished by the able and disabled alike. Artificial intelligence will never get tired, angry or impatient; it will probably seldom be unavailable when help is needed.
Life events, such as honeymoons, vacations, bereavement leave, sick days, health care needs, general lack of time or breaks, will not be a problem in acquiring help.
It seems that the current administration welcomes AI and its future. Let us all strongly and always advocate for the existence and growth of AI, providing examples and future sought-after improvements. One way to do this is via social media, for those who are inclined to participate in that communication form. This miracle we have been given must continue to blossom forth in years to come.