Facebook trains computers to describe photos for blind people
Press Association5 April 2016Facebook is training its computers to become
seeing-eye guides for blind and visually impaired people as they scroll through
the pictures posted on the world's largest online social network.The feature
rolling out on Facebook's iPhone and iPad apps interprets what's in a picture
using a form of artificial intelligence that recognises faces and
objects.VoiceOver, a screen reader built into the software powering the iPhone
and iPad, must be turned on for Facebook's photo descriptions to be read. For
now, the feature will only be available in English.Until now, people relying on
screen readers on Facebook would only hear that a person had shared a photo
without any elaboration.The photo descriptions initially will be confined to a
vocabulary of 100 words in a restriction that will prevent the computer from
providing a lot of details. For instance, the automated voice may only tell a
user that a photo features three people smiling outdoors without adding that
the trio also has drinks in their hands. Or it may say the photo is of pizza
without adding that there is pepperoni and olives on top of it.Facebook is
being careful with the technology called "automatic alternative text", in an
attempt to avoid making a mistake that offends its audience.Google learned the
risks of automation last year when an image recognition feature in its Photos
app labelled a black couple as gorillas, prompting the company to issue an
apology.Eventually, though, Facebook hopes to refine the technology so it
provides more precise descriptions and even answers questions that a user might
pose about a picture.The vocabulary of Facebook's photo-recognition program
includes car, sky, dessert, baby, shoes and, of course, selfie.Facebook also
plans to turn on the technology for its Android app and make it available
through web browsers visiting its site.The Menlo Park, California, company is
trying to ensure the world's nearly 300 million blind and visually impaired
people remain interested in its social network as a steadily increasing number
of photos appear on its service.On an average day, Facebook says more than 2
billion photos are posted on its social network and other apps that it owns, a
list that includes Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp.Facebook CEO Mark
Zuckerberg hailed the photo description tool as "an important step towards
making sure everyone has equal access to information and is included in the
conversation".
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