platforms

Are Colleges Ready For an Online-Education World Without OPMs? — from edsurge.com by Robert Ubell (Columnist)
Online Program Management companies have helped hundreds of colleges build online degree programs, but the sector is showing signs of strain.

For more than 15 years, a group of companies known as Online Program Management providers, or OPMs, have been helping colleges build online degree programs. And most of them have relied on an unusual arrangement — where the companies put up the financial backing to help colleges launch programs in exchange for a large portion of tuition revenue.
…
As a longtime administrator of online programs at colleges, I have mixed feelings about the idea of shutting down the model. And the question boils down to this: Are colleges ready for a world without OPMs?

Guy Raz on Podcasts and Passion: Audio’s Ability to Spark Learning — from michaelbhorn.substack.com by Michael B. Horn

This conversation went in a bunch of unexpected directions. And that’s what’s so fun about it. After all, podcasting is all about bringing audio back and turning learning into leisure. And the question Guy and his partner Mindy Thomas asked a while back was: Why not bring kids in on the fun? Guy shared how his studio, Tinkercast, is leveraging the medium to inspire and educate the next generation of problem solvers.

We discussed the power of audio to capture curiosities and foster imagination, how Tinkercast is doing that in and out of the classroom, and how it can help re-engage students in building needed skills at a critical time. Enjoy!

NEW: Is this America’s next big middle-class job?

28,000 more “technicians” will soon be needed to run giant machines that make tiny semiconductor chips used in phones, cars, missiles, etc.

Pay starts at ~$25/hr@kairyssdal @MHollenhorst & I went to Phoenix to see this “chips… pic.twitter.com/dFvVpttSJ9

— Heather Long (@byHeatherLong) April 30, 2024

April 2024 Job Cuts Announced by US-Based Companies Fall; More Cuts Attributed to TX DEI Law, AI in April — from challengergray.com

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

Education
Companies in the Education industry, which includes schools and universities, cut the second-most jobs last month with 8,092 for a total of 17,892. That is a 635% increase from the 2,435 cuts announced during the first four months of 2023.

“April is typically the time school districts are hiring and setting budgets for the next fiscal year. Certainly, there are budgetary constraints, as labor costs rise, but school systems also have a retention and recruitment issue,” said Challenger.

Lifetime college returns differ significantly by major, research finds — from highereddive.com by Lilah Burke
Engineering and computer science showed the best return out of 10 fields of study that were examined.

Dive Brief:

The lifetime rate of return for a college education differs significantly by major, but it also varies by a student’s gender and race or ethnicity, according to new peer-reviewed research published in the American Educational Research Journal.
A bachelor’s degree in general provides a roughly 9% rate of return for men, and nearly 10% for women, researchers concluded. The majors with the best returns were computer science and engineering.
Black, Hispanic and Asian college graduates had slightly higher rates of return than their White counterparts, the study found.

AI-based apps starting to remember more about us — in learning-related apps, that’s a good thing!

On 05/03/2024, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, colleges, community colleges, education technology, emerging technologies, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, IT in HE, K-12 related, law schools, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, liberal arts, library / librarians, memory, online tutoring, Open AI, personalized/customized learning, platforms, teaching & learning, technologies for your home, tools, United States, universities, vendors, by Daniel Christian

ChatGPT remembers who you are — from thebrainyacts.beehiiv.com |Brainyacts #191

OpenAI rolls out Memory feature for ChatGPT
OpenAI has introduced a cool update for ChatGPT (rolling out to paid and free users – but not in the EU or Korea), enabling the AI to remember user-specific details across sessions. This memory feature enhances personalization and efficiency, making your interactions with ChatGPT more relevant and engaging.

.

Key Features

Automatic Memory Tracking
- ChatGPT now automatically records information from your interactions such as preferences, interests, and plans. This allows the AI to refine its responses over time, making each conversation increasingly tailored to you.
Enhanced Personalization
- The more you interact with ChatGPT, the better it understands your needs and adapts its responses accordingly. This personalization improves the relevance and efficiency of your interactions, whether you’re asking for daily tasks or discussing complex topics.
Memory Management Options
- You have full control over this feature. You can view what information is stored, toggle the memory on or off, and delete specific data or all memory entries, ensuring your privacy and preferences are respected.

Memory is now available to all ChatGPT Plus users. Using Memory is easy: just start a new chat and tell ChatGPT anything you’d like it to remember.

Memory can be turned on or off in settings and is not currently available in Europe or Korea. Team, Enterprise, and GPTs to come. pic.twitter.com/mlt9vyYeMK

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) April 29, 2024

From DSC:
The ability of AI-based applications to remember things about us will have major and positive ramifications for us when we think about learning-related applications of AI.

Shares of two big online education stocks tank more than 10% as students use ChatGPT — from cnbc.com by Michelle Fox; via Robert Gibson on LinkedIn

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence appears to be taking a toll on the shares of online education companies Chegg and Coursera.

Both stocks sank by more than 10% on Tuesday after issuing disappointing guidance in part because of students using AI tools such as ChatGPT from OpenAI.

“Combining AI Literacy with Core Humanities Learning Goals: Practical, Critical, and Playful Approaches”
It was amazing to get to do an in-person keynote at @csunorthridge‘s AI Pedagogy Showcase.
Sharing slides: https://t.co/LDIGAZ3ORO 1/2

— Anna Mills, annamillsoer.bsky.social, she/her (@AnnaRMills) May 3, 2024

Synthetic Video & AI Professors — from drphilippahardman.substack.com by Dr. Philippa Hardman
Are we witnessing the emergence of a new, post-AI model of async online learning?

TLDR: by effectively tailoring the learning experience to the learner’s comprehension levels and preferred learning modes, AI can enhance the overall learning experience, leading to increased “stickiness” and higher rates of performance in assessments.
…
TLDR: AI enables us to scale responsive, personalised “always on” feedback and support in a way that might help to solve one of the most wicked problems of online async learning – isolation and, as a result, disengagement.
…
In the last year we have also seen the rise of an unprecedented number of “always on” AI tutors, built to provide coaching and feedback how and when learners need it.

Perhaps the most well-known example is Khan Academy’s Khanmigo and its GPT sidekick Tutor Me. We’re also seeing similar tools emerge in K12 and Higher Ed where AI is being used to extend the support and feedback provided for students beyond the physical classroom.

Our Guidance on School AI Guidance document has been updated — from stefanbauschard.substack.com by Stefan Bauschard

We’ve updated the free 72-page document we wrote to help schools design their own AI guidance policies.

There are a few key updates.

Inclusion of Oklahoma and significant updates from North Carolina and Washington.
More specifics on implementation — thanks NC and WA!
A bit more on instructional redesign. Thanks to NC for getting this party started!

Creating a Culture Around AI: Thoughts and Decision-Making — from er.educause.edu by Courtney Plotts and Lorna Gonzalez

Given the potential ramifications of artificial intelligence (AI) diffusion on matters of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, now is the time for higher education institutions to adopt culturally aware, analytical decision-making processes, policies, and practices around AI tools selection and use.

Reid Hoffman meets his AI twin

On 04/30/2024, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, bots, communications, content development, aggregation, repositories, digital audio, digital video, education, education technology, educational games / serious games, emerging technologies, Emotion, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, future, game-changing environment, higher education, history, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, interactivity, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, liberal arts, lifelong learning, Microsoft, multimedia, Natural Language Processing (NLP), platforms, play, United States, universities, user experience (UX), vision/possibilities, youth, by Daniel Christian

Description:

I recently created an AI version of myself—REID AI—and recorded a Q&A to see how this digital twin might challenge me in new ways. The video avatar is generated by Hour One, its voice was created by Eleven Labs, and its persona—the way that REID AI formulates responses—is generated from a custom chatbot built on GPT-4 that was trained on my books, speeches, podcasts and other content that I’ve produced over the last few decades. I decided to interview it to test its capability and how closely its responses match—and test—my thinking. Then, REID AI asked me some questions on AI and technology. I thought I would hate this, but I’ve actually ended up finding the whole experience interesting and thought-provoking.

From DSC:
This ability to ask questions of a digital twin is very interesting when you think about it in terms of “interviewing” a historical figure. I believe character.ai provides this kind of thing, but I haven’t used it much.

Smart(er) Glasses: Introducing New Ray-Ban | Meta Styles + Expanding Access to Meta AI with Vision

On 04/29/2024, in A/V -- audio/visual, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, digital audio, digital video, Facebook / Meta Platforms, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, tools, universities, usability, user experience (UX), vendors, videoconferencing, voice recognition / voice enabled interfaces, wearables, by Daniel Christian

Smart(er) Glasses: Introducing New Ray-Ban | Meta Styles + Expanding Access to Meta AI with Vision — from meta.com

Share Your View on a Video Call
Meta AI Makes Your Smart Glasses Smarter
All In On AI-Powered Hardware

New Ray-Ban | Meta Smart Glasses Styles and Meta AI Updates — from about.fb.com

Takeaways

We’re expanding the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses collection with new styles.
We’re adding video calling with WhatsApp and Messenger to share your view on a video call.
We’re rolling out Meta AI with Vision, so you can ask your glasses about what you’re seeing and get helpful information — completely hands-free.

Are we ready to navigate the complex ethics of advanced AI assistants? [Maynard]

On 04/29/2024, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, computer science, emerging technologies, Emotion, ethics, Google, learning agents, morals/values, platforms, policy, privacy, programming, society, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Are we ready to navigate the complex ethics of advanced AI assistants? — from futureofbeinghuman.com by Andrew Maynard
An important new paper lays out the importance and complexities of ensuring increasingly advanced AI-based assistants are developed and used responsibly

Last week a behemoth of a paper was released by AI researchers in academia and industry on the ethics of advanced AI assistants.

It’s one of the most comprehensive and thoughtful papers on developing transformative AI capabilities in socially responsible ways that I’ve read in a while. And it’s essential reading for anyone developing and deploying AI-based systems that act as assistants or agents — including many of the AI apps and platforms that are currently being explored in business, government, and education.

The paper — The Ethics of Advanced AI Assistants — is written by 57 co-authors representing researchers at Google Deep Mind, Google Research, Jigsaw, and a number of prominent universities that include Edinburgh University, the University of Oxford, and Delft University of Technology. Coming in at 274 pages this is a massive piece of work. And as the authors persuasively argue, it’s a critically important one at this point in AI development.

From that large paper:

Key questions for the ethical and societal analysis of advanced AI assistants include:

What is an advanced AI assistant? How does an AI assistant differ from other kinds of AI technology?
What capabilities would an advanced AI assistant have? How capable could these assistants be?
What is a good AI assistant? Are there certain values that we want advanced AI assistants to evidence across all contexts?
Are there limits on what AI assistants should be allowed to do? If so, how are these limits determined?
What should an AI assistant be aligned with? With user instructions, preferences, interests, values, well-being or something else?
What issues need to be addressed for AI assistants to be safe? What does safety mean for this class of technologies?
What new forms of persuasion might advanced AI assistants be capable of? How can we ensure that users remain appropriately in control of the technology?
How can people – especially vulnerable users – be protected from AI manipulation and unwanted disclosure of personal information?
Is anthropomorphism for AI assistants morally problematic? If so, might it still be permissible under certain conditions?
…

Forbes 2024 AI 50 List: Top Artificial Intelligence Startups — from forbes.com by Kenrick Cai

The artificial intelligence sector has never been more competitive. Forbes received some 1,900 submissions this year, more than double last year’s count. Applicants do not pay a fee to be considered and are judged for their business promise and technical usage of AI through a quantitative algorithm and qualitative judging panels. Companies are encouraged to share data on diversity, and our list aims to promote a more equitable startup ecosystem. But disparities remain sharp in the industry. Only 12 companies have women cofounders, five of whom serve as CEO, the same count as last year. For more, see our full package of coverage, including a detailed explanation of the list methodology, videos and analyses on trends in AI.

Adobe Previews Breakthrough AI Innovations to Advance Professional Video Workflows Within Adobe Premiere Pro — from news.adobe.com

New Generative AI video tools coming to Premiere Pro this year will streamline workflows and unlock new creative possibilities, from extending a shot to adding or removing objects in a scene
Adobe is developing a video model for Firefly, which will power video and audio editing workflows in Premiere Pro and enable anyone to create and ideate
Adobe previews early explorations of bringing third-party generative AI models from OpenAI, Pika Labs and Runway directly into Premiere Pro, making it easy for customers to draw on the strengths of different models within the powerful workflows they use every day
AI-powered audio workflows in Premiere Pro are now generally available, making audio editing faster, easier and more intuitive

Also relevant see:

Adobe Announces New AI Tools For Premiere Pro — from forbes.com by Mark Sparrow
Adobe adds more AI and Udio upends AI music — from heatherbcooper.substack.com by Heather Cooper
Is Sora coming to Premiere Pro?

The pace of AI and Robotics has been incredible.

So, I share the most important research and developments every week.

Here’s everything that happened and how to make sense out of it:

— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) April 14, 2024

AI Resources and Teaching [Kent State U] + other items re: AI in our learning ecosystems

On 04/16/2024, in adjunct faculty, art, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, bots, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, computer science, content development, aggregation, repositories, design, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital video, education technology, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, faculty, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, Google, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), IBM, ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, IT in HE, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, liberal arts, media/film, Microsoft, multimedia, music, Natural Language Processing (NLP), new media literacies, online media, online tutoring, Open AI, open courseware and systems, pedagogy, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, teaching & learning, tools, United States, universities, vendors, by Daniel Christian

AI RESOURCES AND TEACHING (Kent State University) — from aiadvisoryboards.wordpress.com

AI Resources and Teaching | Kent State University offers valuable resources for educators interested in incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into their teaching practices. The university recognizes that the rapid emergence of AI tools presents both challenges and opportunities in higher education.

The AI Resources and Teaching page provides educators with information and guidance on various AI tools and their responsible use within and beyond the classroom. The page covers different areas of AI application, including language generation, visuals, videos, music, information extraction, quantitative analysis, and AI syllabus language examples.

A Cautionary AI Tale: Why IBM’s Dazzling Watson Supercomputer Made a Lousy Tutor — from the74million.org by Greg Toppo
With a new race underway to create the next teaching chatbot, IBM’s abandoned 5-year, $100M ed push offers lessons about AI’s promise and its limits.

For all its jaw-dropping power, Watson the computer overlord was a weak teacher. It couldn’t engage or motivate kids, inspire them to reach new heights or even keep them focused on the material — all qualities of the best mentors.

It’s a finding with some resonance to our current moment of AI-inspired doomscrolling about the future of humanity in a world of ascendant machines. “There are some things AI is actually very good for,” Nitta said, “but it’s not great as a replacement for humans.”

His five-year journey to essentially a dead-end could also prove instructive as ChatGPT and other programs like it fuel a renewed, multimillion-dollar experiment to, in essence, prove him wrong.
…

To be sure, AI can do sophisticated things such as generating quizzes from a class reading and editing student writing. But the idea that a machine or a chatbot can actually teach as a human can, he said, represents “a profound misunderstanding of what AI is actually capable of.”

Nitta, who still holds deep respect for the Watson lab, admits, “We missed something important. At the heart of education, at the heart of any learning, is engagement. And that’s kind of the Holy Grail.”

From DSC:
This is why the vision that I’ve been tracking and working on has always said that HUMAN BEINGS will be necessary — they are key to realizing this vision. Along these lines, here’s a relevant quote:

Another crucial component of a new learning theory for the age of AI would be the cultivation of “blended intelligence.” This concept recognizes that the future of learning and work will involve the seamless integration of human and machine capabilities, and that learners must develop the skills and strategies needed to effectively collaborate with AI systems. Rather than viewing AI as a threat to human intelligence, a blended intelligence approach seeks to harness the complementary strengths of humans and machines, creating a symbiotic relationship that enhances the potential of both.

Per Alexander “Sasha” Sidorkin, Head of the National Institute on AI in Society at California State University Sacramento.

AI for the physical world [Kahn]

On 04/12/2024, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Apple, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, corporate / business world, data related items, digital photography, photography, platforms, by Daniel Christian

AI for the physical world — from superhuman.ai by Zain Kahn

Excerpt: (emphasis DSC)

A new company called Archetype is trying to tackle that problem: It wants to make AI useful for more than just interacting with and understanding the digital realm. The startup just unveiled Newton — “the first foundation model that understands the physical world.”

What’s it for?
A warehouse or factory might have 100 different sensors that have to be analyzed separately to figure out whether the entire system is working as intended. Newton can understand and interpret all of the sensors at the same time, giving a better overview of how everything’s working together. Another benefit: You can ask Newton questions in plain English without needing much technical expertise.

How does it work?

Newton collects data from radar, motion sensors, and chemical and environmental trackers
It uses an LLM to combine each of those data streams into a cohesive package
It translates that data into text, visualizations, or code so it’s easy to understand

Apple’s $25-50 million Shutterstock deal highlights fierce competition for AI training data — from venturebeat.com by Michael Nuñez; via Tom Barrett’s Prompcraft e-newsletter

Apple has entered into a significant agreement with stock photography provider Shutterstock to license millions of images for training its artificial intelligence models. According to a Reuters report, the deal is estimated to be worth between $25 million and $50 million, placing Apple among several tech giants racing to secure vast troves of data to power their AI systems.

The University Student’s Guide To Ethical AI Use — from studocu.com; with thanks to Jervise Penton at 6XD Media Group for this resource

This comprehensive guide offers:

Up-to-date statistics on the current state of AI in universities, how institutions and students are currently using artificial intelligence
An overview of popular AI tools used in universities and its limitations as a study tool
Tips on how to ethically use AI and how to maximize its capabilities for students
Current existing punishment and penalties for cheating using AI
A checklist of questions to ask yourself, before, during, and after an assignment to ensure ethical use

Some of the key facts you might find interesting are:

The total value of AI being used in education was estimated to reach $53.68 billion by the end of 2032.
68% of students say using AI has impacted their academic performance positively.
Educators using AI tools say the technology helps speed up their grading process by as much as 75%.

[Report] The Top 100 AI for Work – April 2024 — from flexos.work; with thanks to Daan van Rossum for this resource
AI is helping us work up to 41% more effectively, according to recent Bain research. We review the platforms to consider for ourselves and our teams.

Following our AI Top 150, we spent the past few weeks analyzing data on the top AI platforms for work. This report shares key insights, including the AI tools you should consider adopting to work smarter, not harder.

While there is understandable concern about AI in the work context, the platforms in this list paint a different picture. It shows a future of work where people can do what humans are best suited for while offloading repetitive, digital tasks to AI.

This will fuel the notion that it’s not AI that takes your job but a supercharged human with an army of AI tools and agents. This should be a call to action for every working person and business leader reading this.

Assessment of Student Learning Is Broken — from insidehighered.com by Zach Justus and Nik Janos
And generative AI is the thing that broke it, Zach Justus and Nik Janos write.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has broken higher education assessment. This has implications from the classroom to institutional accreditation. We are advocating for a one-year pause on assessment requirements from institutions and accreditation bodies.
…
Implications and Options
The data we are collecting right now are literally worthless. These same trends implicate all data gathered from December 2022 through the present. So, for instance, if you are conducting a five-year program review for institutional accreditation you should separate the data from before the fall 2022 term and evaluate it independently. Whether you are evaluating writing, STEM outputs, coding, or anything else, you are now looking at some combination of student/AI work. This will get even more confounding as AI tools become more powerful and are integrated into our existing production platforms like Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.

The burden of adapting to artificial intelligence has fallen to faculty, but we are not positioned or equipped to lead these conversations across stakeholder groups.

7 TIPS TO AUTOMATE YOUR CLASSROOM WITH AI — from classtechtips.com by Dr. Monica Burns
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How Much Do Voice Actors Make? [elevenlabs.io] + other items re: creating multimedia

On 03/28/2024, in animation, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Augmented Reality (AR), career development, digital audio, digital storytelling, drama/theater, multimedia, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, tools, UK, United States, vendors, XR - extended reality, by Daniel Christian

How Much Do Voice Actors Make? — from elevenlabs.io
Learn how much voice actors can expect to make and how to create passive income streams with ElevenLabs.

If you’re considering a career in the voice acting industry, you may be wondering how much do voice actors make?

A voice actor’s salary is based on many factors, from talent to type of voice work, and the ability to market yourself. Voice actors can experience massive earning potential, and a voice actor salary can range from tens of thousands of dollars to six figures a year.

In this article, we’ll explore how to make your voice talent work for you, whether you’re an entry-level voice actor or an experienced voice actor, the kind of voice actor’s salary you can expect, and what the highest-paid voice actors earn.

Also from elevenlabs.io see:

How Do Video Game AI Sound Effects Work?
Learn how AI tools are transforming the world of video game sound effect generation.

Have you ever wondered how video games create those immersive and dynamic sound effects that react to your every move? From the satisfying crunch of footsteps on different surfaces to the realistic reverberations of gunshots in various environments, game audio has come a long way.

Now, AI is revolutionizing the way video game audio is produced and experienced. AI algorithms and machine learning techniques are being leveraged to power real-time sound effect generation, creating more realistic, adaptive, and efficient sound effects that respond to player actions and in-game events in real-time. For example, ElevenLabs’ upcoming AI Sound Effects feature will allow video game developers to describe a sound and then generate it with AI.

What Are the Best AI Video Game Tools?
Looking to enhance your video generation process with AI tools? You’ve come to the right place. Learn all about the top tools and their specific use cases.

From generating realistic assets and environments to crafting compelling narratives and lifelike characters, AI is revolutionizing the way video games are designed and developed.

In this article, we will explore the different types of AI video game tools available and highlight some of the best tools in each category. We’ll delve into the key features and benefits of these tools, helping you understand how they can streamline your game development process and enhance the overall quality of your game.

Whether you’re an indie developer or part of a large studio, understanding the AI landscape and selecting the right tools for your project is crucial. We’ll provide insights into what to look for when choosing an AI video game tool, ensuring that you make an informed decision that aligns with your project’s requirements and budget.

Tools and Apps to Bring Augmented Reality into Your Classroom — from techlearning.com by Steve Baule and Dillon Martinez
These digital tools and platforms can support the use of augmented reality in the classroom, making a more dynamic and engaging learning experience

AR allows virtual 3D models, animations, and contextual information to be overlaid on the real world through mobile devices or AR headsets. The Franklin Institute provides a good overview of what constitutes AR, as does UK’s Talk Business and Tech & Learning. This immersive technology provides unique opportunities for interactive, experiential learning across numerous subjects.

For example, in a science class, students could use an AR app to visualize the 3D structure of a molecule they are studying and interact with it by rotating, resizing, or even building it atom-by-atom. For history lessons, AR can transport students to ancient archaeological sites projected on their desks, where they can explore 3D reconstructions of ruins and artifacts. Google’s Expeditions tool can allow students to take a virtual walkthrough South Africa and learn about its geography or visit the Seven New Wonders of the World.

London's Frameless is the ultimate immersive art experience. With 42 masterpieces in 4 different galleries, it's the largest permanent multi-sensory experience in the UK.pic.twitter.com/13OPRCLH2E

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) March 27, 2024

Several items re: accessibility — some with a focus on AI

On 03/28/2024, in accessibility / UDL, Adobe, Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, by Daniel Christian

Using AI to Support People with Disability in the Labour Market (OECD) — from aiadvisoryboards.wordpress.com

The document “Using AI to Support People with Disability in the Labour Market” explores the potential of AI in fostering employment for individuals with disabilities. Here are the key takeaways from the document:

Evaluation of AI Solutions: …
Challenges and Obstacles: …
Role of Governments: …
Regulations and Policies: …
Technical Limitations: …
Mitigation Strategies: …

These key points underscore the importance of addressing challenges, enhancing policies, and leveraging AI technologies to create more inclusive opportunities for individuals with disabilities in the labor market.

PDF Accessibility: Understanding the Basics — from boia.org

The Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) is one of the most popular formats for online documents. Put simply, if you need to download a tax form or review a company brochure, you’ll probably download a PDF to do so.

Unfortunately, many PDFs aren’t accessible for users with disabilities. A 2023 report from the Department of Justice (DOJ) found that only 20% of the government’s most-downloaded PDFs were conformant with federal accessibility standards. Private businesses also struggle to meet basic accessibility requirements.

The good news: If you think about accessibility when authoring your documents, you can provide a better experience for readers. Here’s how to get started.

Exploring AI’s Role in Accessibility and Inclusion — from blog.usablenet.com by UsableNet

How AI will transform digital accessibility — from ciodive.com by Phil Strain

What if a person with a visual impairment could receive audio assistance reading a map — and detailed instructions on how to navigate their local railway system? Or what if they could use image-to-text technology to quickly discern what’s in their fridge, along with recipe suggestions and a shopping list for their grocery delivery order?

AI-powered tools that do just that are now a reality thanks to Danish startup Be My Eyes, which uses the visual input capability of GPT-4 to create “virtual volunteers” for people who are blind or vision-impaired. It’s just one example of how advancements in AI are transforming the digital accessibility landscape.

Learning Ecosystems

“Are Colleges Ready For an Online-Education World Without OPMs?” [Ubell] + other HE-related items

Several items re: accessibility — some with a focus on AI

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