AI accessibility? Blind gamer puts ChatGPT to the test - News-Topic
Japanese eSports gamer Mashiro is blind and often relies on a companion to get around Tokyo - but he hopes that artificial intelligence, hailed as a promising tool for people with disabilities, can help him travel alone. The 26-year-old "Street Fighter" player put the latest version of AI chatbot ChatGPT to the test on his way to a stadium for a recent Para eSports meet-up.
"I can't participate in an event like this without someone to rely on," he told AFP. "Also, sometimes I just want to get around by myself without speaking to other people. So if I can use technology like ChatGPT to design my own special needs support, that would be great."
Empowering People with Disabilities
This year, the US firm OpenAI released GPT-4o, which understands voice, text, and image commands in several languages. The generative gadget, along with others such as Google's Gemini, is part of a fast-growing field that experts say could make education, employment, and everyday services more accessible.
AI can cater to specific needs better than "one-size-fits-all" assistive products and technologies, said Youngjun Cho, an associate professor in computer science at University College London (UCL). "Its potential is enormous," said Cho, who also works at UCL's Global Disability Innovation Hub. "I envisage that this can empower many individuals and promote independence."
Challenges and Opportunities
People with hearing loss can use AI speech-to-text transcription, while chatbots can help format a resume for someone with learning disabilities. Some tools for visually impaired people, such as Seeing AI, Envision AI, and TapTapSee, describe phone camera images.
Danish app Be My Eyes, where real-life volunteers help via live chat, is working with OpenAI to develop a "digital visual assistant." But Masahide Ishiki, a Japanese expert in disability and digital accessibility, warned it can be "tricky" to catch mistakes from ChatGPT, which "replies so naturally."
Future of AI in Accessibility
Although the experiment was "a lot of fun," it would have been easier if ChatGPT was connected to a map tool, said the gamer, who travelled around Europe last year using Google Maps and help from those around him. He has already decided on his next travel destination: Yakushima rainforest island in southern Japan.
Originally published on doc.afp.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
