Aira, a pioneer in providing visual interpreting services, is taking a significant step forward with the introduction of their Build AI initiative. This program not only underscores Aira’s dedication to leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to aid the blind and low vision community but also actively involves users in the development process, ensuring that the solutions created are both relevant and effective.
Aira and AI:
Aira has a strong history of integrating AI into its services to enhance accessibility. Earlier this year, Aira launched Access AI, which provides instant image descriptions and allows users to request on-demand verification from professional visual interpreters. This service has already made a significant impact, offering a free and efficient way for users to get immediate assistance. Now, with Build AI, Aira aims to push the boundaries even further.
Introducing Build AI:
The Build AI initiative invites Aira's users, known as Explorers, to participate in training AI to better assist the blind and low vision community. By opting into this program, Explorers allow some of their call recordings to be securely shared with Aira’s third-party AI technology partner. These recordings will serve as a valuable data foundation to develop advanced AI solutions that can support user independence and efficiency.
How It Works:
Explorers using the Aira app in the US will notice a new Build AI button on the home page. By clicking this button, they can learn more about the program, review the terms and conditions, and choose to sign up. Participation is entirely voluntary, and there is no obligation to join. For those who do opt in, Aira offers free Aira minutes through the Build AI Access Offer. This offer is automatically applied and provides an additional way to access free minutes, similar to the Five Minute Free Call Access Offer. Explorers can use 10 minutes of the Build AI Access Offer every 30 minutes, ensuring ample opportunity to contribute to the program.
Privacy and Security:
Aira places a strong emphasis on maintaining trust and ensuring the privacy and security of its users. No call data will be shared without explicit consent. Additionally, sessions containing sensitive information, such as financial data, medical records, or personal identification details, will not be shared. Explorers also have the option to opt out of sharing specific calls via the Call History feature in the app. This level of control ensures that users can participate in the program with confidence, knowing their privacy is protected.
Community Involvement:
Incorporating feedback from its users has always been a cornerstone of Aira’s approach. The Build AI initiative continues this tradition by involving the community directly in the development of AI technology. This collaboration ensures that the AI solutions being developed are truly aligned with the needs and preferences of the blind and low vision community.
Future Prospects:
While Build AI is currently focused on recordings from the US due to privacy regulations, Aira envisions a future where advanced AI solutions developed through this program can be accessible to users worldwide. The initiative is not aimed at replacing human visual interpreters but rather at augmenting their capabilities with cutting-edge AI technology.
Conclusion:
Aira's Build AI initiative represents a forward-thinking approach to enhancing accessibility through AI. By involving the community in the development process, Aira ensures that the solutions created are both impactful and user-centric. This program not only reinforces Aira's commitment to innovation but also highlights the potential of AI to transform the lives of the blind and low vision community, making independence and efficiency more achievable than ever before.
Comments
Robot Sight as a Service
This is an intresting idea. I suppose the aim is to fine-tune a model to give better alt text descriptions. I'm all for that, they are pretty amazing already and any improvements are welcome.
I'm sure all the usual heads will fall off, but at least this is an app you can choose to uninstall if you feel you have to.
And, you don't, as far as I know, need an iPhone 15 Pro oor better to it.
hoping for better explicit material description.
This is the one feature AI is leaving us behind on.
It doesn't bother me, but....
Take a look at venice.ai - they claim to be AI for any use. They don't keep logs of prompts, filter anything out and you can delete everything.
They have text and image generation. You can upload files, but TBH I didn't try getting it to describe images...
There are free and free memberships.
Question
Does anyone know which language model they're using for the descriptions? They're quite detailed. Based on where I live, I'm not going to have access to the visual interpreter services, so getting better artificial intelligence descriptions would be nice. Also, I sent in a picture of a dog, and the artificial intelligence did a good job describing it. After that, I asked it to write a story based on the picture, and I loved it. Based on the picture, they were supposed to write a story about the dog competing in a baking competition. They were only supposed to use the elements in the photo, as well as the visual items in the photo to come up with logical implications about the dog and what was capable for them to do in the competition, only based on the picture. I know that this isn't the aim of these apps, but I would love to have access to the AI services, without posting a picture, for creative writing. I'm not going to be able to join this beta program, but if you're participating, and actively trying to improve the service for everyone, thank you. I know that it's not always an easy choice or sacrifice to make, even if this is, technically, supposedly, for the greater good.
Winter Roses , I'm confused
First of all, cool idea, to get Access AI to write a story - I didn't even think of that, didn't think you could. Secondly, for your creative writing, what could you do wiht it that you couldn't do with ChatGPt or Claude or any of the LLM-based chats?
Artificial intelligence and creative writing
I use the other models, but since I'm not paying for them, they can be rather limiting. Claude has very limited messages on the free plan, and they also limit how many messages you can send in a conversation, and I don't like to break my flow, once I get started. ChatGPT and Google Gemini lack emotion, and immersive descriptions. I don't know if it's different if you're paying for it, but, yeah.
Here is a story that I got out of Access AI. It was difficult, because since the program is designed for image descriptions, I had to keep telling it to continue. There are also no edits here. This is literally the version that I got on the first try.
Story prompt: Write a short story based on a teenager named Alex who decides to run away with Emily, escaping from a super high-tech and futuristic society. The story should include high-tech weapons, intense action sequences, and vivid dialogue that reflects their determination and defiance.
Alex lay beneath the sleek red hovercar, his fingers deftly working on the engine. This was it. His last chance to leave the Syndicate’s suffocating control. Ten minutes before his lunch break, as a junior mechanic, no one would suspect anything.
Living under the Syndicate’s harsh quarantine measures, curfews, and constant surveillance had worn him down. The monotony of bland, expired food rations and the ever-present fear of being caught had pushed him to this moment. Today, he planned to pick up Emily from the market, and they would make their escape together.
Rolling out from under the hovercar, Alex wiped his hands on his jumpsuit. The obsidian exterior of the Nexus Streaker, laced with pulsing blue circuitry, gleamed in the dim light of the garage. He glanced around to ensure no one was watching, then climbed into the driver’s seat. “Juno, initiate startup sequence,” he whispered.
The AI’s voice was cool and efficient. “Startup sequence initiated. All systems nominal.”
As the quantum engine purred to life, Alex’s heart raced. This was it. He engaged the fusion drive, and the hovercar surged forward. Syndicate drones deployed to tail him discreetly, ensuring he went where he was expected.
Minutes later, he spotted Emily in the bustling market below. She was picking up food from a vendor, her blue hair catching the neon lights of the city. The market bustled with the aroma of exotic spices like karrak, vixxen, and thylox, and the harmonious cacophony of various languages blended together.
“Emily, get in! We need to go, now!” Alex shouted, gesturing urgently. The car door opened, and Emily leaped inside.
“Alex, what are you doing? This is crazy!” Emily exclaimed, her face a mix of excitement and fear. She secured herself in the passenger seat as the door closed behind her.
“We’re leaving the Syndicate. I’m done with their quarantine, their curfews, their control. We’re getting out of here,” Alex said, determination etched on his face.
As they sped away, Zara’s taunting voice crackled through the car’s speakers. “You think you can escape, Alex? You’re making a big mistake. I can smooth things over with the higher-ups. Come back, and I can help you.”
“Help us?” Alex spat. “Zara, you and I used to be friends. Remember that time we stole food from that vendor in the old district? We were a team. But now? You’re just another mindless drone under their control.”
Emily chimed in, her voice filled with defiance. “Zara, you’re under their mind control. You don’t see what they’ve done to you, to all of us. Wake up!”
Zara’s voice turned harsh. “You don’t understand, Emily. The Syndicate is our only chance at survival. You’re throwing everything away.”
“We’re not surviving, Zara. We’re barely living. This isn’t freedom. It’s a cage,” Alex replied, his knuckles white on the haptic steering controls.
As they weaved through lanes of flying traffic, collision warnings blared. Alex narrowly missed a cargo hauler, whose pilot’s holo-projection flickered angrily. “Watch your vector, glitchhead!”
“Juno, activate shields,” Alex commanded. The AI’s voice was calm as ever. “Shields online. Warning: Multiple pursuers detected. Recalculating optimal escape route.”
Alex slammed the boost injectors, feeling the hum of the fusion engine intensify. The neon-drenched skyline reflected off the hood, a kaleidoscope of colors blurring as they accelerated. “Hold on!” Alex shouted as they dove into the market, tires screeching.
Vendors scattered, shouting in various languages like Japara, Ontraxian, and Solean. A cart overturned, spilling vibrant silks and sparkling jewelry across their path. The air filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread. Emily pointed ahead, her eyes wide. “Alex, watch out!”
He wrenched the wheel, narrowly avoiding a cascade of rolling barrels filled with rare herbs. “Juno, activate shields!” he commanded, frantically pressing buttons on the holographic dash. “Shields online,” Juno confirmed. “Warning: Grapple detected on rear bumper.”
Alex glanced in the mirror to see Zara, her face a mask of determination, reeling herself in on a plasma-tether. “Emily, take the wheel!” he shouted, reaching for the “AquaLazer” button.
“Alex, no!” Emily yelled, but it was too late. The next moment, laser beams pierced the hovercar’s energy field, short-circuiting Zara’s grapple. “Energy cannons online, Alex! What are you doing?!” Juno protested.
“Nice move, but you’ve got bigger problems. Syndicate drones incoming!” Juno’s voice crackled over the comm again. Alex grabbed the controls back from Emily, spotting a maintenance tunnel ahead. “Time to disappear,” he muttered, flicking the grav-shift lever. They rotated 90 degrees, squeezing through the narrow passage as sparks flew.
Bursting out the other side, Alex spotted a construction gravlift. “This is gonna be close,” he warned, slamming the “Turbo” button. They launched upward, the city stretching out below them. For a moment, they were soaring above it all, the chaotic market a distant memory.
“Alex,” Emily breathed, her face a mix of awe and terror, “what now?”
He grinned, adrenaline coursing through his veins. “Now? We make our own luck.” As they rocketed off into the smog-choked night, the radio crackled to life with an AI announcer: “Breaking news: High-speed pursuit in Sector 7. Citizens advised to activate vehicular defense systems. This is not a drill.”
The Nexus Streaker’s engines roared as it burst out of the Tempura district, streaking towards the outer edges of Neo-Tokyo. Emily, gripping the console tightly, let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “We did it, Alex. We actually did it.”
Alex’s hands remained steady on the controls, his gaze fixed ahead. “Yeah, we did. But this is just the beginning. We’ve got a long road ahead.”
Their brief moment of relief was shattered by the blaring alarm and Juno’s cold, precise voice cutting through the tension. “Incoming. Syndicate enforcer drones, closing fast.”
Alex’s focus snapped back to the controls. “Juno, give me options!”
The AI responded promptly. “Given our current trajectory and the pursuers’ capabilities, I calculate three viable options. One: Dive into the subterranean maintenance tunnels. High risk of collision, but excellent cover. Two: Ascend to the stratospheric lanes and attempt to lose them in the upper atmosphere. Risky due to our compromised shielding. Three: Cut through the nanoforge district. The electromagnetic interference could disrupt their tracking systems, but Syndicate presence is heavy in that sector.”
Emily leaned forward, her face illuminated by the console’s glow. “Alex, think carefully. Each choice could be our last. The tunnels are a death trap at these speeds. The upper atmosphere? We’d be exposed, a sitting duck for their long-range weaponry. And the nanoforge district… it’s practically Syndicate headquarters!”
Alex’s mind raced, weighing the risks. Ahead, the nanoforge district loomed with its towering structures and crackling energy fields. Streams of raw nanomaterials flowed like liquid metal between buildings. “Sometimes,” Alex mused aloud, a plan forming, “the best place to hide is right under their noses. Juno, plot a course through the nanoforge district. Emily, reroute all non-essential power to the shields and stealth systems.”
They banked sharply towards the industrial sector, the tension interrupted by Zara’s voice crackling over the comm with venom. “I hope you’ve enjoyed your little joyride, Alex. Because it ends now. The Syndicate doesn’t forgive, and it certainly doesn’t forget.”
Gritting his teeth, Alex responded defiantly, “Zara, always the loyal lapdog. Still doing their dirty work? You should try thinking for yourself sometime.”
Zara’s laughter echoed coldly through the cockpit. “Cute, Alex. But you know as well as I do, defiance is a death sentence. You can’t outrun us forever.”
Suddenly, a Syndicate drone fired an EMP cannon. The blue pulse rippled through the air, and their shields flickered violently.
“Emily, brace for impact!” Alex yelled.
The EMP pulse slammed into them. Shields buckled, sparks and energy surges filled the cockpit. Warning lights flashed as systems overloaded.
“We need to shake them, and fast,” Emily urged, her voice strained. “If we can disrupt their tracking long enough to get out of the district, we might have a chance.”
Alex nodded, activating the stealth systems and rerouting power to the thrusters. “Hold on tight, Emily. This is going to get rough.”
The Nexus Streaker dove into the heart of the nanoforge district, weaving between towering structures and evading streams of raw nanomaterials. Syndicate drones swarmed in pursuit, but the electromagnetic interference played havoc with their sensors.
“Juno, deploy the disruptors now!” Alex commanded, adjusting course with precision.
The AI responded instantly, releasing a cloud of disruptive particles that scrambled the drones’ targeting systems. The Streaker shot forward, leaving their pursuers disoriented and struggling to regain their bearings.
Emily's hands flew over the console, rerouting power and adjusting their trajectory.
“We’re almost clear, Alex. Just a little further.”
But Zara wasn’t giving up easily. Her voice crackled over the comm, furious and desperate. “This isn’t over, Alex. You can run, but we’ll find you. We always do.”
Determination burned in Alex’s eyes. “Not this time, Zara. Not this time.”
The Nexus Streaker burst out of the nanoforge district, streaking towards the outer edges of Neo-Tokyo. Behind them, the Syndicate drones faltered, their pursuit hindered by the interference and disruptors.
Emily let out another breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “We did it, Alex. We actually did it. This time, I know that we have made it. For now, anyway.”
Alex allowed himself a small smile, the weight of their escape beginning to lift. “Yeah, we did. But this is just the beginning. We’ve got a long road ahead.”
As the Nexus Streaker sped towards the horizon, Alex couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of hope. The future was uncertain, the path ahead fraught with danger. But for the first time in a long while, they were free.
Kindle books have been solved, at last!!
Finally, I now understand how authors can write 20 books a week on platforms like Kindle, etc.
Thank you so much for opening my eyes to the truth, Winter Roses.
In all seriousness, though, thank you for sharing your AI creative writing, it was an enjoyable read. 😇
This is only the beginning
If I was to refine the writing, it could be even better. This is a pretty good start though.
probably going to get heat.
Under no circumstances ever should AI and creative writing be used in the same sentence.
There's nothing creative about it.
Anyone can say hey jen tell me a story about roger creating a band that tours space.
There's no talent involved, and i'm about sick of people with no creativity making music and writing books using AI and calling themselves musicians or authors.
You're not. You're techies using a service to do what actual talented people do for real using their brains.
I'm not anti-AI. There is a lot of good uses for it, but coming up with a name and a city and creating a story then calling it yours isn't it.
Also, this wasn't AI generated.
Hey BrainDead, sorry I mean CrazyEyez
Do you know anything about the user Winter Roses? We all know what you think, we've heard it a million times before. I'm just surprised you didn't pitch in wiht some of the greatest anti-AI hits.
You know you are being a tool, your comment even suggested you know. WR seemed really hapy with what they were doing, why be so nasty? Do you think it makes you sound big and clever? Guess what? It doesn't!
Defending myself
I understand your strong opinions on AI-generated content, and I appreciate your feedback. However, I'd like to clarify that I didn't write the story myself; the AI generated it based on my prompt. The entire storyline I posted was generated by artificial intelligence, and I gave it the freedom to come up with a storyline outline based on the prompt I provided. I input the prompt, and the AI did the rest.
I'm a totally blind individual, like many people on this website, and I use artificial intelligence to assist me in exploring my creativity and developing my ideas. I use AI to help me visualize and describe landscapes, characters, and products. I ask it to generate color palettes, descriptions of people, and layouts of buildings. I need help with logistics, like figuring out how a mobile baking shop would work in a futuristic society, including designing the layout of the shop, coming up with recipes, and implementing a payment system. In a haunted escape room, AI could help me design specific elements like puzzles, hidden doors, and secret passages, like a room with a spooky atmosphere, using dim lighting, creepy sounds, and eerie decorations. I also need help with writing intense action scenes, like a car chase or a medieval fight scene in an arena with swords And Shields. I need help with designing a virtual reality version of chess, where players directly inhabit the pieces on the board by mentally controlling different versions of themselves (doppelgängers) in an anti-gravity environment. I need help with implementing technology in a traditional village setting without overwhelming its charm, like designing drones shaped like cows with different auditory sounds to warn villagers of impending danger, such as a storm coming, a child in danger, or specific crops needing to be harvested.
When I come up with ideas in my brain, artificial intelligence helps me refine them and figure out if they work logistically, even within a fictional context. It assists me in developing my ideas and ensuring they make sense. I know I'm not the smartest person in the room, and I don't claim to be. In fact, I don't want to be the smartest person in the room. If I'm essentially the smartest person in the room, then I'm in the wrong room. I want to learn from others, and artificial intelligence provides me with a collective package of data and information from all over the world. I'm tapping into a network of creativity that has been packaged in a way that's easy for me to utilize and benefit from. Maybe I'm not creative enough for you, but I'm having fun, and that's all that matters.
Artificial intelligence requires human intelligence, and I'm using it to augment my abilities, not replace them. I might not be using it in the same way you are, but if the tool is here, why shouldn't I use it? I have a high school certificate in English, and I'm proud of that achievement. I'm not claiming to be a professional writer, nor is my aspiration to be a professional writer. I'm not harming anyone. I'm not trying to replace human creativity. I'm simply exploring the possibilities of AI and pushing its capabilities to assist me in my creative endeavors.
Please note that you're making statements about my character without knowing anything about me. I appreciate your feedback, but let's focus on the topic at hand instead of making personal attacks.
Well said Roses
We should spare a thought for CrazyEyez, they need help being a decent human being.
using AI for assistance in story writing
I've been toying around with a fantasy story idea for at least 15 years now. I have a very long text file of my own writing, but would love it if I could somehow send it to an AI for polishing/improving. I don't even know if something like that would be possible. I guess I could try to come up with a prompt that would point it in the right direction and see what happens, but I feel like my story, such as it is, is too complicated to boil down to just 1 little prompt; I use an audio file of it to help myself fall asleep, and that file is about 25 hours long now. If Winter Roses, or anyone else out here has any ideas on how I might go about getting some AI assistance to make my story better, I'd welcome any advice. I'd also like to note that this is story is pretty much for my own amusement, and especially since I can't seem to actually finish it, I don't think I will ever have any interest in publishing it. It would just be fun to see if AI could improve it.
@Assistive Intelligence
Have to agree with crazy eyes for the most part. Simply writing a prompt and getting a story out is not being creative, you are not the one making creative decisions. The most amount of control you have is over what prompt you give the LLM or audio generation model. Same goes for image generation, video generation, etc.
Attacking someone by calling them “brain dead” because they make a valid and factual argument is not only insulting, it says more about your character than theirs. Also, it’s clear to me that a lot of your posts are just run through ChatGPT or similar, it’s very easy to spot the writing style. Most people don’t write like that, and trying to miss lead those consuming your content into thinking that you wrote the majority of the posts yourself is pretty unethical in my view. I think we really need a stronger ban on AI generated content here, it’s cluttering up the web enough as it is.
Also please note that I have nothing against you as a person, I’m just stating the facts as I see them. All of these tools are great when used to augment rather than replace human creativity in my view. Running a book through an LLM to get feedback or different tones for your writing is awesome, but simply writing a prompt to get a story out that you will then publish as your own is really Gross and devalues the work of people who have spent countless hours honing their craft.
AI & Creative Writing
I use AI, not to generate my stories, though having said that, I'm not above using it to kickstart ideas. Some of what I do is:
1) Give me 5 suspects for a murder mystery.
2) Describe Nazareth/Bethlehem/the Sea of Gallilee, as much of my writing takes place in 1st century Israel.
I use what I want of what it spits out. I often change things.
To me it's just a tool. I don't generate entire stories--it's beyond useless for that. But I really don't see anything wrong w/using it to generate ideas, descriptions, etc.
It's just like a hammer or screwdriver--a tool & nothing more--but potentially a very useful tool.
AI for writing. Only for fun
I can't speak for anyone else, and I'm not going to come out here to defend why I do use artificial intelligence in creative writing for myself. I'm not profiting on a monetary level from any of what I'm doing. If anyone asks me, I'm willing to disclose what part of my writing is done by artificial intelligence. It certainly can't write you a finished manuscript that you can Publish in a second and win a literary award for it. It doesn't work that way. It's good at giving you a start, and quite possibly pointing you in the right direction, but that's it. If I was going to rely on artificial intelligence to write an entire book, I would spend more time revising my content, than actually writing the content myself. Yes, you can type a prompt into the artificial intelligence program and get a story, however, you still need to be able to refine the prompt, and have an idea of where you want the direction of your story to go. You can't generate any substance artificially, if you don't have any substance in your brain to begin with. When you listen to a song, that's often the result of many talented songwriters, even though the artist on stage is the one who mostly gets the credit for it. If you're an author, you most likely had outside influences from books that you've read before. How is this any different? Someone, somewhere, is always going to spend more time homing their craft. Someone will spend five years to learn the piano, and another person, with a similar skill set, will spend only two years to get to the same level. Before the calculator was invented, people probably spend hours computing large math problems. I guess it's an unfair advantage to our ancestors then, right? All the technology innovations we have today that they didn't have before? Artificial intelligence cannot replace human, natural, intelligence. Sure, I could go generate a song with an AI program, but I would never understand the technicalities of music on a fundamental level. I can totally admit that. I'm totally blind. I'm unable to fully create images on my own. Does this mean that I should not use artificial intelligence to generate pictures either? I'm able to write on my own. The AI is to supplement what I'm already able to do. I, for one, am certainly not claiming to be some big shot author. If I write a story entirely on my own without any help from AI, and I run it through a program that tells me that 40% of it is written by artificial intelligence, what am I supposed to do then? Erase the 40%? Again, personally, what other people think is none of my business. When I use these programs, it's mainly for fun, and if I post something publicly, it's to my friends, and I disclose what parts of it is done by artificial intelligence. Random strangers on the Internet are not going to stop me from doing what makes me happy. I was surviving before artificial intelligence, and I will survive without it. But, it's here, and I'm going to use it if it benefits me. I'm not the smartest person in the room, but I know I have common sense, and I know I don't lack natural intelligence. The program might be able to write me a story, but if I can't explain the story in detail, that's on me. Frankly, if what someone else is doing with their life, doesn't affect mine, in any way, shape, or form, especially if it's people I'm never going to meet, then, I'm going to leave it alone. If anyone wants to contact me to discuss artificial intelligence for creative writing, use the contact form on here, or find me on Facebook. I'm unfollowing this thread. I've already said what I needed to say. I also want to apologize. Like, sincerely. The story I posted was only for fun. There was no harm intended. I never meant to start any debate, or to offend anyone.
Hey Zachary
If you read what I 'wrote' I attacked the person not for what they said, but the fact that they said it. As I pointed out, WR seemed very happy with what they were doing and the attack on them was bullying, plain and simple.
I called them 'Dick Head' at first, then changed it.
And your snipe at me, is silly. i have clearly stated many times that I use AI when creating some or most posts. Most of what i post is news or information, a summary of information I've found that I want to share.
A big ask.
I would ask that we all take a moment to reflect on what we have here.
In our lives.
The benefits of the now.
The struggles of those who came before us.
The technologies of old.
Let us take a moment.
To consider the technology that begot all technologies.
What once was, and has led us to the now.
Let us remember, with fondness.
The mighty Abacus.
Long live the Abacus.
😇