"BART's policy became, 'Anything that's been written down, we need to also verbally say,' said Alicia Trost, chief communications officer at BART."
"Before the late 1990s, BART had no live train information or announcements for passengers. Riders would consult a paper schedule to see when a train was supposed to arrive."
"In 2000, BART began using a new piece of technology. The Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) is a data hub that allows BART to calculate and communicate live train locations."
"Despite the introduction of real-time information systems, the robotic announcements sound outdated, reminiscent of 1990s technology, raising concerns about their relevance in today's AI-driven environment."
BART, established in 1972, has not updated its robotic announcement system despite technological advancements. Initially, riders relied on paper schedules and occasional announcements. In 2000, BART introduced the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS), enabling real-time train location updates. This system improved communication with riders through digital signage. However, the synthesized voices used for announcements have not evolved, raising questions about the consistency of BART's technology with the current AI landscape and the needs of visually impaired passengers.
Read at www.berkeleyside.org
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]