Facebook just launched a tool that uses artificial intelligence to help people who are blind experience photos on Facebook. See how it works.
Facebook is training its computers to become seeing-eye guides for blind and visually impaired people as they scroll through the pictures posted on the world's largest online social network. The feature rolling out Tuesday on Facebook's iPhone app interprets what's in a picture using a form of artificial intelligence that recognizes faces and objects. The iPhone's built-in screen reader, VoiceOver, must be turned on for Facebook's photo descriptions to be read. For now, the feature will only be available in English. The descriptions initially will be confined to a vocabulary of 100 words in a restriction that will prevent the computer from providing a lot of details. For instance, the automated voice may only tell a user that a photo features three people smiling outdoors without adding that the trio also has drinks in their hands. Or it may say the photo is of pizza without adding that there's pepperoni and olives on top of it.
Eventually, though, Facebook hopes to refine the technology so it provides more precise descriptions and even answers questions that a user might pose about a picture. Facebook also plans to turn on the technology for its Android app and make it available through Web browsers visiting its site.
Mark Zukerberg posted this from his official account:
We just launched a tool that uses artificial intelligence to help people who are blind experience photos on Facebook.
When blind or visually impaired people use the internet, they use something called a screen reader that turns text into spoken words. But until now, screen readers haven't been able to describe what's in a photo.
Using artificial intelligence, we're able to understand what's in a photo and describe that for someone using words. This is a great use of AI technology, and it's an important step towards making sure everyone has equal access to information and is included in the conversation. Check out this video to see how it works.
Along with this video:
We just launched a tool that uses artificial intelligence to help people who are blind experience photos on Facebook.When blind or visually impaired people use the internet, they use something called a screen reader that turns text into spoken words. But until now, screen readers haven't been able to describe what's in a photo. Using artificial intelligence, we're able to understand what's in a photo and describe that for someone using words. This is a great use of AI technology, and it's an important step towards making sure everyone has equal access to information and is included in the conversation. Check out this video to see how it works.
Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday, April 5, 2016
