Michelle Thompson“AI has transformed my everyday life,” says Louise Plunkett from Norwich.
Ms. Plunkett has Stargardt disease, a rare genetic eye condition that leads to progressive vision loss and affects nearly every aspect of her life.
“I can’t recognize people, not even my husband or children. When they were younger, I had to teach them how to find me when I picked them up from the school playground.”
Comfortable with digital tools, Ms. Plunkett runs a business that helps companies make their online content accessible to the visually impaired.
She’s used voice assistants like Alexa, Google Home, and Siri for years to assist with tasks like setting alarms and checking the weather.
Now, she’s finding the app Be My AI particularly helpful.
The app uses ChatGPT to provide detailed descriptions of images, which are then read aloud to the user.
“I’m a bit stubborn,” says Ms. Plunkett. “I don’t like asking for help, so AI is handy when there are no humans around.” She uses the app to identify things like restroom signs, food ingredients, or letters. However, she feels AI can sometimes be overly detailed. “Sometimes it provides too much information. You just want the basics, but it might go into unnecessary detail, describing the mood or emotions. For example, it might say, ‘a swirling carpet evoking memories of times gone by’—it’s one step too far.”
Be My AI was created by the Danish company Be My Eyes. The service originally connected visually impaired users with human volunteers, who would describe objects or scenes through mobile phones.
Now, some of the company’s 600,000 users are opting for the AI tool, says CTO Jesper Hvirring Henriksen. “One woman, who was among our first users a decade ago, described over 600 images within the first six months of Be My AI’s release.”
He also notes that users are finding new ways to use the app. “We’re seeing people use it to check images shared in WhatsApp groups. Instead of calling someone each time, they use AI to help identify the pictures.”
Be My Eyes links volunteers with individuals who are visually impaired.
Looking ahead, he believes that live streaming video—where technology describes buildings and movements—could be a future development for the platform. “This could be a game changer. It’s like having a small assistant in your pocket all day, telling you what’s happening.”
Be My Eyes, which is free for users, generates revenue by enrolling businesses in its paid directory service, allowing them to offer information and contact details to the blind and low-vision community.
Mr. Henrikson emphasizes that AI won’t replace the importance of human interaction.
“At Be My Eyes, people still prefer to call a volunteer. The majority of visually impaired individuals in the Western world are older and may experience vision loss later in life, so AI might introduce additional complexity. Humans tend to be faster and more accurate.”
WeWalk is an AI-driven cane that identifies obstacles and provides navigation instructions.
Several companies offer products designed to assist those with visual impairments.
WeWalk, an AI-powered cane, features a voice assistant that detects obstacles and provides accessible navigation, including real-time public transport updates. It connects to a smartphone app with built-in maps, guiding users to points of interest like nearby cafés in over 3,000 cities.
“The cane is crucial for us, aiding navigation and symbolizing our independence and autonomy,” says Gamze Sofuoğlu, product manager for WeWalk.
“Our latest version allows voice commands, such as ‘take me home’ or ‘nearest café,’ which start the navigation and provide public transport updates without needing to touch the phone. It offers greater freedom for those with visual impairments.”
Ms. Sofuoğlu, who is blind, has used the cane in cities like Lisbon and Rome.
Robin Spinks, head of inclusive design at RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People), also with low vision, is a strong advocate for AI, which he uses daily. For instance, he utilizes ChatGPT to summarize work-related developments or even plan activities like paddle boarding, and Google Gemini AI to locate items.
Spinks believes 2024 will be the year of “multimodal AI,” combining video and images to extract meaningful information in innovative ways. He highlights Google Gemini, which can record meetings and provide voice labels and summaries, making it a genuinely helpful tool.
He notes, “AI has been transformative for those who are blind or have low vision. While some fear AI, it’s a great tool for those with disabilities if it adds real value. The benefits are too significant to overlook.”
