🧑‍🦽How can AI assist people with Disabilities?

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17 Jan 2024

In today’s newsletter, we delve into the recent surge of layoffs in tech companies. Could AI be a factor? We also explore how advancements in AI technology are poised to benefit people with disabilities. And the latest news, tools, and resources in the world of AI and tech.

This is what we got today…

How can AI assist people with Disabilities?
The Year of the Rabbit
Duolingo Replaces humans with AI
🤔 What Does that even Mean? (Random Forests)
Follow the Money
🧰 AI Tools of the Day (Therapy)

💪🏽 Important AI News and Trends.

NVIDIA’s CEO on Leading Through the A.I. Revolution (HBR)
World-first AI binoculars that identify species on their own (Designboom)
Google Cloud launches new generative AI tools for retailers (CNBC)
Hackers Break into AI Hiring Chatbot, Could Hire and Reject Fast Food Applicants (404)
Amazon’s Alexa gets new generative AI-powered experiences (TC)

🌐 Web3 and Other Tech news.

Nine Bitcoin ETFs started trading today and racked up $2.2B in trading volume on the first day (Defiant)
Google confirms it just laid off around a thousand employees (TheVerge)
Meta reportedly laid off 60 technical program managers at Instagram (Engadget)
Discord is laying off 17 percent of employees (TheVerge)
After MrBeast declines to post on X, Musk says it’s improving creator payouts (TubeFilter)
Starlink’s first texts via “cellphone towers in space” (ARS)

How can AI assist people with Disabilities?

AI technologies are crucial for improving the lives of people with disabilities, representing a significant market and social opportunity.
With 1 in 6 people globally and 1 in 4 American adults living with a disability, these technologies have the potential to impact a substantial portion of the population.
They address the growing need for affordable and scalable assistive technologies, especially in light of the aging population and rising healthcare costs.
They illustrate innovation in leveraging AI for social good, beyond conventional commercial applications.

Some Companies Developing Assistive Technologies:

1. dotLumen:
Lumen glasses: AI-powered headset using lidar technology to assist visually impaired individuals, offering guidance via vibrations.
2. OrCam:
MyEye Device: Device that clips onto glasses, providing audio prompts to assist visually impaired individuals by recognizing faces, describing surroundings, and reading text aloud.
3. Ara Strap:
Ara Strap: Wearable device using ultrasound and lidar sensors for environmental scanning, providing alerts to visually impaired users for navigation.
4. NeuroSkin:
NeuroSkin Trousers: Smart garments using AI-controlled electrodes to stimulate leg movement, aiding individuals with mobility difficulties.
5. ReWalk:
Wearable robotic exoskeleton: Provides powered hip and knee motion to enable individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) to stand upright, walk, turn, and climb and descend stairs.
These technologies are particularly important as they offer innovative solutions to longstanding challenges in disability assistance, such as the high cost and limited availability of traditional aids like guide dogs. They also represent a shift towards more integrated, AI-driven assistive technologies that can dramatically improve the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities.

The Year of the Rabbit

The Rabbit R1, an AI-powered pocket companion, made a remarkable debut at CES 2024, quickly becoming a hit in the tech world. Priced at $199, it sold out its first batch of 10,000 units on the launch day itself, surpassing the company’s internal expectation of 500 devices. Described as a blend of nostalgia and cutting-edge technology, the R1 is likened to an AI version of the iPhone.

Key Features:

Natural language processing for easy communication.
Control phone apps via push-to-talk, akin to a walkie-talkie.
Unique features: Rotating camera, analog scroll wheel, 2.88-inch touchscreen, 128GB storage, SIM card slot, and USB-C charging.

The R1, half the size of an iPhone, offers a more personalized experience than traditional smartphones. It moves away from app-based interfaces, focusing on intuitive use without the need for learning. Rabbit has announced the availability of a second batch, keeping the price unchanged, with shipments expected in April or May.
Rabbit R1’s successful launch signifies a significant interest in AI-driven personal devices, emphasizing ease of use and a shift from conventional smartphone functionalities. The device is a testament to our desire to interact with personalized user-friendly interfaces, integrated into our daily lives and independent from traditional platforms. Is the rabbit the poster child of what is to come when it comes to devices? Is it the year of the Rabbit-like devices?

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Duolingo Replaces Humans with AI

As you saw in the above news section, several companies are laying off workers due to products that are not producing and some others are being replaced by AI.
Duolingo, a leading language-learning app, has replaced numerous contract writers and translators with AI, leading to about 10% of its contractors being laid off. This has sparked concerns over AI replacing human jobs. While Duolingo claims AI enhances productivity and is not a replacement for human expertise, some former employees, like Benjamin Costello, have raised issues about the declining quality of lessons. The company’s rapid growth, with 83.1 million monthly users and projected 2023 revenues of $528 million, highlights its significant market presence. The broader implications of AI in employment, especially in creative and freelance sectors, remain a contentious and evolving issue.

Follow The Money

$24M by Burro, the Philadelphia-based company that provides autonomous solutions for the agriculture industry.
$11M raise by Ask-AI for its Generative AI assistant for enterprise workflows.
$5.65M by Peerlogic Raises in Funding to Fuel Expansion of AI-Driven Dental Practice Technology.
$2M was raised by Xaba, a Toronto-based developer of an AI-powered cognitive software solution to automate the programming and deployment of robotics and CNC machines.
$2.7M snatched by NumberEight, a London-based startup using on-device AI to deliver ‘privacy-first’ identity solutions for the advertising industry.

🤔 What Does that even Mean?

Random Forests: An ensemble learning method that operates by constructing multiple decision trees and outputting the mode of the classes (classification) or mean prediction (regression) of the individual trees.
Example: In healthcare, Random Forests predict disease risk by combining predictions from multiple decision trees based on patient data, leading to a more accurate and reliable final assessment.

📰 Publications I am currently reading and recommending:

Short Squeeze — One stop for Financial News and Advice.
Goal Accomplishment — Join us for the real-life strategies and practical support you need to turn your aspirations into achievements.
5 Bullet Friday — Things Tim Ferriss has found (or explored) that week, including books, gadgets, hacks, and more.

🧰 AI Tools of the Day

Therapy

Skyoactive — A holistic approach to well-being, an ecosystem combining time-tested wisdom and cutting-edge technology.
Jung GPT — AI companion for emotional insights!
Therapise — An emotionally supportive chatbot.
MindMateGPT — AI powered therapy app.
Free AI Therapist — Online chat for emotional support and therapy.