The interview was conducted following a short report. The report showed a visually impaired optician who uses the OrCam My Eye 2 at work. The AI technology can, among other things, recognize and read text and describe the environment.
Do you think that the world of work could be revolutionized for people with disabilities? And do you have examples of how work could be made easier for people with disabilities?
“Yes, as in the example we have just seen, in past projects – and also in the current project at the DFKI – we have researched technologies that can help people with a wide range of impairments. These are, for example, technologies that can support people with hearing impairments. Think of the video conferences that hearing-impaired people could not hear during the Corona period. These technologies transcribe in real time what is being discussed there. Including the display of who is speaking.”
Is there anything at the workbench that is being revolutionized?
“Yes, there are also possibilities at the workbench. For example, there are smart glasses. These are glasses that display different work steps or sequences in the field of vision of the eyes. These are devices that are already available for people without disabilities. For example, when training in assembly, to quickly train new employees. But they can also be used for people with cognitive impairments. For example, when putting a semiconductor together, the glasses slowly guide them, step by step, as to which cables they have to put together.”
Looking into the future – could people with and without disabilities one day do the same jobs without distinction with the help of AI?
“Maybe we don’t want to do everything without distinction. We want to maintain individuality, but it’s really about including people with disabilities in an ideal working world in an inclusive workplace so that we can use the same workplaces. For example, if I, as a person with a disability, can use a workplace and can say for myself when I need help and support and when I don’t. And the next day the other employee who doesn’t have a disability comes in and can use the same workplace.”
What percentage of work activities do you think AI could actually do in the future?
“I can’t really say what percentage, it’s mainly about AI providing support. And that means with the work that we might not like to do so much, with the routine work, to give us more freedom to do things that AI simply can’t do. Emotional support, for example, is something AI cannot provide so easily. Specialists who care for people with disabilities, for example, then have more freedom to provide individual advice or support.”
Photo: Berit Blanc
