Tom Gauld on the AI (investment) bubble

#AI #investment

Editted to fix link. Please boost for reach if this kind of stuff interests you. Will post more on this later.

Once upon a time, there was a cool emulator frontend called Retroarch. This emulator wasn't accessible until I and a few other gamers went to them and asked about adding accessibility. An amazing person known as BarryR made it happen. Now, if you turn on accessibility mode in settings, or pass the "--accessibility" (or something like that) flag on the command line, you get spoken menus, including the emulator's pause menu, good for saving states and such. Then, using PIL and other image processing Python utilities, running a server and hooking into Retroarch, the script allowed players to move around the map, battle, talk to NPC's, ETC. The only problem was, no one wanted to test it. The blind gaming community pretty much spoke, saying that we want new games. We want cool new, easy accessibility. So that's what we have no, follow the beacon or get sighted help in the case of diablo and such. It's sad, but meh. It's what we wanted I guess. No Zelda for us. So, this is about as far as he got:

To expand on what devinprater was saying: I am working on an accessibility pack/service for Final Fantasy 1 for the NES (this was what was shown in the latest RetroArch update). The idea is similar to how Pokemon Crystal access works, but it's using the RetroArch AI Service interface to do so.
Right now, the FF1 access service is mostly done, but I need more testers to try it out and give me feedback on how it's working. Right now, you can get up to the point where you get the ship, but there's no code to deal with how the ship moves, so that still needs to be done. Likewise with the airship later on.
The service works the latest version of RetroArch, on linux and mac, but not windows. This is due to how nvda reads out the text and until the next major update to nvda (which will have a feature to fix this), it'll have to wait. If you have those, I (or maybe devinprater) can help you set it up on mac/linux to test out. The package itself is available at: (new link cause old one broke yesterday): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ggffl769fx6igz15zco6u/ff1_package5b.zip?rlkey=fnahnj272fd5jfs8dvkp7541f&dl=1
#accessibility #finalFantasy #RetroArch #blind #emulator #emulation #Python #ai #ML #MachineLearning

If you want to be really cool, you could try typing "@Gemini” followed by the prompt in your Chrome's address bar. See what you get back!

You are welcome!

#AI #accessibility #UX

This is proper use of machine learning as opposed to the idiocy we see in the west.

These systems are great at correlating a lot of data and noticing patterns, and then alerting humans to do stuff like proactive maintenance.

#machinelearning #ai

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3260766/how-5g-ai-and-cotton-revolution-helped-china-beat-us-xinjiang-sanctions

GOSIM 2024 Europe Will Be Held in the Netherlands on May 6th: Embrace the Global Open Source Wave and Build a New Era of AI Here comes the GOSIM 2024 Europe!
https://medium.com/@gosimfoundation/the-latest-guest-lineup-of-gosim-2024-europe-revealed-gathering-global-masters-in-ai-open-source-a706eff5196e

For more information please visit: https://europe2024.gosim.org

Scan or register here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gosim-2024-conference-tickets-873572969267?aff=oddtdtcreator

#rust #rustlang #rustnl #opensource #gui #mobile #app #ai #fediverse #matrix #gosim

Even if you don't code, this is essay presents a solid case on why #AI can't be relied on to replace work requiring any degree of empathy and nuanced understanding

Specifically, if you're building accessible web-based experiences, @hdv explains why "outsourcing" this work create more harm than good and offers some better alternatives to focus on instead (hint: invest in a #DesignSystem)

#accessibility #a11y #InclusiveDesign

https://hidde.blog/ai-for-accessible-components/

“AI” and accessible front-end components: is the nuance generatable?

Are LLMs helpful tools to assist with making accessible front-end components? Let's find out.

^{Hidde's blog}

On Tech Talk this week, I had a great conversation with Troy Otilio from @AiraVI about their new Access AI feature, which has recently been released as a beta in the Aira Explorer app. We spoke about where this feature came from, the impact the use of AI has on privacy, and so much more about AI and Aira in general. Have a listen here or wherever you get your podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rnib-tech-talk/id1151878596?i=1000652615215

@rnib #aira #AccessAI #AI #chatGPT #gemini #blind #accessibility #podcast

‎RNIB Tech Talk: Tech Talk 508: Access AI, WelcoMe In Currys, RNIB Gamer Survey on Apple Podcasts

‎Show RNIB Tech Talk, Ep Tech Talk 508: Access AI, WelcoMe In Currys, RNIB Gamer Survey - 16 Apr 2024

^{Apple Podcasts}

If you have a website with neo cities, just know that the creator actually likes AI, and will add it again based on this post alone. Moratorium on freaking out about AI https://kyledrake.com/writings/ai

One alternative I've found is https://nekoweb.org/

Background on NeoCities adding AI to their editor.

https://cohost.org/horseonvhs/post/5661130-fucking-come-on-man

#AI #IndieWeb #SmallWeb #neocities

horse on cohost

fucking, come on man. (edit from the future: a few hours after i posted this, the feature was reportedly turned off - see here [https://cohost.org/nicky/post/5665868-damn-i-should-be-sen] for more info)

^{horse on cohost}

🧠 Boost if you wish investors and marketers would start investing money into HI (Human Intelligence) again.

#HI #HumanIntelligence #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #enshittification

YOWZA
Form Extractor Prototype

“This tool extracts the structure from an image of a form.”

https://github.com/timpaul/form-extractor-prototype?tab=readme-ov-file#form-extractor-prototype

#ai #LLM #UX #accessibility

GitHub - timpaul/form-extractor-prototype

Contribute to timpaul/form-extractor-prototype development by creating an account on GitHub.

^GitHub

GPL2 vs GPL3 as a Rap battle (#ai-generated)

https://suno.com/song/16da57d3-b68f-41fd-ad07-4da2b56bdb36/

GPL2 vs GPL3 rap battle | Suno

Rap battle song. Listen and make your own with Suno.

^suno.com

Honk honk! Make way for Lottie, the potentially self-driving marvel of the future! We've seen cars go from four wheels and a honk, to smart machines that know how to navigate the autobahn without a coffee break. Meanwhile, I'm over here, tapping away with my trusty ‘stick' or relying on an adorable canine companion who, bless, hasn't the slightest clue about Google Maps.

1. A Tale of Two Navigators:
• The Traditionalists: Here's to the good old cane and the furry, four-legged GPS units. They don't come with Bluetooth, but they have heart.
• The Techies: Self-driving cars are now the talk of the town, boasting their shiny sensors and making parallel parking look like a piece of cake.
2. Tech Envy: Where's My Update?:
• The world is obsessed with updates, from software to wardrobe choices. But when it comes to personal mobility tech for the visually impaired, we're still waiting for the 'Version 2.0' that lets me walk around without the need for eyeballs!
3. Promise Not to Run Over Your Toes!:
• I assure you, the day I become self-driving Lottie, I'll navigate with the grace of a ballerina – toes will be safe, and so will the neighbourhood cats.
4. The Fantasy of Autonomy:
• Imagine a world where I could waltz down to the local café, guided by nothing but my own savvy suit or smart shoes. I could order a latte without playing a game of human pinball!
5. The Humble Requests to Tech Wizards:
• Dear Tech Wizards, it's 2024! Can we get a wearable that’s a bit more "Iron Man" and a little less "Iron Age"?

While I wait for the tech gurus to catch up, I'll keep tootling along with my 'stick' and might even recruit a furry friend. But let it be known that 'Self-driving Lottie' is ready for an upgrade. I'm all set for the day when I can zoom past you, fully automated and with a built-in espresso machine, perhaps? Until then, I'll rely on my wits, my companions, and the kind people who don't mind a tap on the ankle from my cane, the precursor to my self-driving debut. Keep your sensors peeled for me!
And remember, dear readers, whether you're a tech tycoon or just someone who loves a good toot, keep dreaming of that hands-free future. It's bound to come, and when it does, I'll be first in line — no driving test required! #Accessibility #AI #AIsoftheBlind #Blind

Director @tink is quoted in the Financial Times this week discussing the increasing presence of AI in the world of digital accessibility.

https://www.ft.com/content/3c877c55-b698-43da-a222-8ae183f53078

#FinancialTimes #AI #Accessibility

Lots of things happening in the AI/LLM space that could have implications for #accessibility

Ferret-UI from Apple:
https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.05719

ScreenAI from Google
https://research.google/blog/screenai-a-visual-language-model-for-ui-and-visually-situated-language-understanding/

#a11y #ai #LLM

Ferret-UI: Grounded Mobile UI Understanding with Multimodal LLMs

Recent advancements in multimodal large language models (MLLMs) have been noteworthy, yet, these general-domain MLLMs often fall short in their ability to comprehend and interact effectively with user interface (UI) screens.

^arXiv.org

"Blind internet users struggle with error-prone AI aids", reports an article in the Financial Times:
https://www.ft.com/content/3c877c55-b698-43da-a222-8ae183f53078

#FT has a paywall but three articles can be accessed for free if you register.

TLDR is that AI #accessibility widgets over promise and under deliver. Repeatedly.

#AI #GenerativeAI #a11y

LOL! So a few blindness higher ups want me to speak at their library events about the use of #AI and how it could enhance the lives of Disabled people, so I go through the song and dance, arranging payment, not at all hiding the fact I am very critical of AI in the disability space because I assume they read my blog by now, but then they come back and say things like, you didn't tell the internet you are actually against AI, to which I send them 5 blog posts where I critically talk about AI and they are always like but we didn't know this!

Pro tip for others. Read my blog, not just social media. That's what my website is for, after all.

Sadly, after they realized I am critical of AI and especially #AIHype they did not get in touch with me to continue the speaking presentation engagement, so this means that no payment changed hands, and I did not get to talk about the more critical aspects that disabled people really should be paying attention to regarding these large language models, such as, the profit driven nature of all of these models. The capital investments that went into these models that are being used in apps like Be my Eyes. The discriminatory side effects of mass deploying these large language models in the workplace, especially in terms of entry-level positions, the privacy and ethical concerns, not to mention, the environmental concerns as well. In short, i’m available for presentations.

New #blog post: MDN’s AI Help and lucid lies.

This article on AI focused on the inherent untrustworthiness of LLMs, and attempts to break down where LLM untrustworthiness comes from. Stay tuned for a follow-up article about AI that focuses on data-scraping and the theory of labor. It’ll examine what makes many forms of generative AI ethically problematic, and the constraints employed by more ethical forms.

Excerpt:

I don’t find the mere existence of LLM dishonesty to be worth blogging about; it’s already well-established. Let’s instead explore one of the inescapable roots of this dishonesty: LLMs exacerbate biases already present in their training data and fail to distinguish between unrelated concepts, creating lucid lies.

A lucid lie is a lie that, unlike a hallucination, can be traced directly to content in training data uncritically absorbed by a large language model. MDN’s AI Help is the perfect example.

Originally posted on seirdy.one: see original. #MDN #AI #LLM #LucidLies

MDN’s AI Help and lucid lies

MDN’s AI Help can’t critically examine training data’s gaps, biases, and unrelated topics. It’s a useful demonstration of LLMs’ uncorrectable lucid lies.

^{Seirdy’s Home}

Yup, about sums it up...

#AI #tech #business

Have you seen @nextcloud AI Assistant 2.0?

You can now chat about your own documents and data, use GPU acceleration, transcribe audio with Whisper, use your own LLMs, and a ton more integrations and new features.

All #open-source 😀

Boosts appreciated 🙏

https://nextcloud.com/blog/nextcloud-releases-assistant-2-0-and-pushes-ai-as-a-service/

#AI #mastodon #Linux #Foss #OSS

"What made me put my coffee down this morning was 'synthetically generating music', which apparently now falls under 'needs to disclose'.

Them’s fighting words.

Let’s say I fiddle with some knobs on my Eurorack setup (that’s a music synthesizer if you don’t know), and decide to upload it in the background of a video. Am I now making 'altered content?'"

#MusicProduction #MusicTech #AI #Policy #YouTube #Deepfakes

https://vkc.sh/youtubes-bad-ai-disclosure-policy/

#GenAI hype in financial terms! #AI #nvidia #NVDA #generativeAI

https://youtube.com/watch?v=idxW9VGdXoA&si=bYQIKGV8_V3JacDH

The Stock Market is 'Priced to Insanity'.

Is the stock market currently 'priced to insanity'? In this video, we look at what the Dean of Valuation has to say. Aswath Damodaran recently gave an interv...

^YouTube

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