Microsoft uses AI to empower nearly one billion people with disabilities: Report- Technology News, Firstpost



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Artificial intelligence (AI) is the buzzword in the world of technology because it promises to change the way we live and interact with devices.

For Microsoft, there is nothing "artificial" art in the provision of "information", the ultimate goal being to empower nearly one billion people with disabilities.

The excitement aroused by artificial intelligence is so evident on the Microsoft campus here that various teams badociated with the task have focused on achieving the impossible – to give a different life, with a normal and dignified life.

The change has been visible in the last two years under CEO Satya Nadella who has put the IA in the foreground on several areas: devices, cloud, Office 365, Windows, and so on.

Image of representation.

Image of representation.

For him, "artificial intelligence is one of the most important priorities of technology, and health care is perhaps the most urgent application for AI."

"AI for Accessibility" is a new Microsoft program of 25 years duration, worth $ 25 million, aimed at developers around the world, including India.

The program will put the tools of AI in the hands of developers to accelerate the development of accessible and intelligent AI solutions for people with disabilities.

Jenny Lay-Flurrie, the first-ever accessibility manager for Microsoft, whose deafness appeared at a very young age, has a mammoth goal: to use AI tools for accessibility and accessibility. inclusion.

"Accessibility is all about making everything accessible to everyone." We have several programs for people with disabilities, such as "See AI" and automatic alternative text features that help people who are blind or with reduced vision to tell their lives, "Jenny said a group of journalists visiting.

The company has developed applications that describe what people see and feel, help them translate text to speech and text to speech and, with predictive text, that people do not need it. to type so much.

"We now have a view control, learning tools, software 'Editor', audio and video transcription and ease of setting up parameters Windows 10 access, "she added.

The AI ​​for Accessibility program provides start-up grants for technology to developers, universities, non-governmental organizations and inventors.

Evelyn Thomas, Senior Program Manager, ensures that players with limited mobility can enjoy the experience of the Xbox Adaptive Controller created to remove obstacles by adapting to the needs of more and more players.

"People with disabilities can now enjoy the immersive experience.You can see here the family of Xbox controllers and peripherals that help them create a configuration that works for them in a plug-and-play, scalable and affordable way" Thomas explained.

Microsoft has worked with third-party manufacturers to support external inputs that can be connected to the new controller. These inputs include the one-handed PDP joystick for the Xbox adaptable controller, the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro joystick and the Quadstick game controller.

Designed for the visually impaired community, the Microsoft "Seeing AI" app harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to describe people, text, and objects. He can tell people with visual impairments what's around them. If the phone is directed to a park, the camera application can describe the appearance of the scene.

Likewise, it can indicate the amount of your restaurant bill or tell just about anything that is stated.

"Artificial intelligence can help people develop their job skills and influence business culture and inclusive hiring," Jenny said, adding that artificial intelligence was able to to hear, see and reason with greater precision.

By making software and peripherals smarter and affordable, users gain independence to perform daily tasks and customize tools to meet their specific needs.

"AI-based technology can create opportunities for everyone, regardless of how they listen, speak or write," Jenny said.

The truth is that only one in ten people with disabilities in the world has access to badistive technologies and products. And, according to Nadella, it's important for us to find a way to empower more people.

"My personal pbadion has been helping people with disabilities such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and autism," Nadella said recently.

Nadella's personal pbadion (her son has cerebral palsy) has become a colossal mission at Microsoft. Several teams are working to harness the power of AI to empower people with disabilities.

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