Design and evaluate accessible AI solutions

  • 5 minutes

Although generative AI can greatly enhance productivity for people with disabilities, it can pose the following challenges and risks for accessibility when it's not built responsibly:

  • Biases: The unfair or inaccurate assumptions or preferences that affect the data, algorithms, or outcomes of generative AI. An example of bias is the lack of representation or diversity of people with disabilities in the datasets or models that are used for generative AI. This situation can lead to inaccurate, inappropriate, or harmful outputs.
  • Ableism: The discrimination or oppression of people with disabilities based on the assumption that they're inferior or less capable than others. An example of ableism is the exclusion or marginalization of people with disabilities in the design, development, or evaluation of generative AI for accessibility. This exclusion prevents individuals with disabilities from having a voice or a choice in the solutions that affect them.

It's important to consider the ethical and social implications of generative AI for accessibility and to involve people with disabilities as co-creators and stakeholders in the process. Generative AI can then become a tool for empowering and enabling people with disabilities, rather than a source of harm or discrimination.

Inclusive design principles for AI solutions

Designing accessible AI solutions requires understanding the specific user needs and contexts and applying the principles of inclusive design.

User testing and evaluation are essential for ensuring that accessible, inclusive AI solutions meet user expectations and requirements and don't produce any unintended consequences or harm. User testing and evaluation should involve a diverse and representative sample of users who can provide feedback on the usability, usefulness, and desirability of a solution.

Developers can conduct user testing and evaluation through various methods, depending on the research questions and goals. Methods might include interviews, surveys, observations, or experiments.

User testing and evaluation results should inform improvement and refinement of the solution.