Do Apple's accessibility efforts point at its AI plans?

Technology can improve autonomy and quality of life for vulnerable populations. Apple links accessibility to better outcomes as people age and abilities decline. New accessibility announcements for Global Accessibility Awareness Day build on prior recognition from organizations serving blind, deaf, and disabled communities. Many upcoming features will arrive with the 27 series of Apple operating systems and rely on AI and Apple Intelligence. Updates add intuitive options for input, exploration, and personalization with privacy protections. VoiceOver gains Image Explorer, which uses Apple Intelligence to generate detailed descriptions of images across the device, including documents, bills, and receipts. Users can point the iPhone camera at an item, request descriptions, have content read aloud, and ask follow-up questions about what the image contains.

"You can usually measure a society by the way it treats its most vulnerable populations, and technology often can help people live better, more autonomous lives. Apple firmly believes that, and this year's raft of accessibility announcements introduced to mark Global Accessibility Awareness Day shine a light on that belief."

"With these updates, we're bringing new, intuitive options for input, exploration, and personalization, designed to protect users' privacy at every step. They also give us a glimpse at what Apple has planned across its operating systems in terms of improved contextual intelligence in Siri."

"For example, a new tool called Image Explorer in VoiceOver lets you use Apple Intelligence to generate detailed descriptions of images held across your system, and those images can be documents, bills, receipts. The idea is that you can hold up your iPhone, point your camera at the item and ask Apple Intelligence to describe what it is, read it to you, ask questions about what's there, and even ask follow-up questions about what it sees."

"This will make a huge difference for disabled people who use voice to control their iPhone or iPad. With WWDC just weeks away, Apple's latest accessibility features promise powerful technologies for all. Most will arrive with the 27 series of Apple operating systems and many of the most powerful tools lean deeply into AI and Apple Intelligence."

Read at www.computerworld.com