LANCASTER, Pa. — Artificial intelligence comes in many forms.
For Benjamin Brenya, a technology specialist at VisionCorps, it’s a tool used to help the visually impaired.
“I think that started last year [with] BeMyEyes, the first app to incorporate AI into the app,” Brenya said.
BeMyEyes is just one of three apps Brenya uses when working with clients, alongside Seeing AI and TapTapSee.
It’s also what Brenya uses to live an independent life.
The apps use AI to tell users what’s around them by accessing a device's camera and speaker, eliminating the need for a human helper.
“I refer to it as the human being in the phone, which reads the screen to me,” Brenya said.
Emily Abel uses AI to read menus at restaurants.
Though mundane to some, Abel says it helps her feel more independent.
“They just don’t give it a second thought, they just think, ‘Oh we’re doing this.' It’s simple stuff, but they don’t give thought to the fact that some people can’t do that,” Abel said.
Abel wears a device on her glasses that quickly scans what’s printed and reads it aloud.
It can be attached or detached whenever she wants via a magnet.
“I think it’s good for people to be aware of what’s out there, and not only that but like, to see that it’s being used in all the right ways rather than being used in all the wrong ways,” Abel said.
With how quickly AI is developing, Abel is excited to learn how the technology will advance.
“We came a long way from where we were.”
Abel and Brenya joined VisionCorps as clients but later became employees. VisionCorps is a nonprofit on a mission to empower the blind or visually impaired by offering adaptive technology and employment opportunities.