HOW OPEN SOURCE AI IS MAKING LIFE EASIER FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Takeaways

By making open source AI models like Llama accessible for free, small teams can tackle bigger challenges that were once out of reach due to limited funding and resources.

Start-ups, developers, and other professionals can download and fine-tune the models directly on their own devices. This local use means there's no need to send data back to the AI providers, giving companies greater control and security over their information. With Singapore’s tech start-up sector generating $144 billion in value, open source AI models play a vital role in fuelling broader economic growth by supporting innovation that remains agile and unrestricted.

Furthermore, greater access to open source is enabling important innovations in medical technology, healthcare research and related sectors, helping researchers make crucial advancements to solve key problems.

Here’s a story from Singapore about a company using Llama’s open source technology to advance innovation.

Globally, an estimated 43 million people are blind and another 295 million have serious vision impairment, according to a 2021 study by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. Open source AI is opening opportunities to transform the quality of life and enable advancements in technology for the visually impaired.

AiSee is a wearable device designed to empower blind and visually impaired individuals to navigate the world with greater confidence.

Leveraging open source AI technology, including Meta's Llama, AiSee has evolved from a wearable ring to a discreet, fast, and intuitive headset. It allows users to get fast and accurate responses in dynamic environments, from reading menus to identifying signs on the street, by using “Meta’s Open Source AI to capture and translate text into clear, real-time audio descriptions,” explains co-founder Professor Nanayakkara.

Users can also walk into a pharmacy or supermarket, pick up an item, and take a photo of it. The device will then use AI to process the image in real time and provide an audio description of the product. With this technology, the intent is to help millions of people around the world live more independently.

It began when Professor Suranga Nanayakkara was studying at MIT.

One of his classmates, who was blind, would take photos of handwritten notes after lectures and use assistive tech to read the text back to him. “For me, this was a very slow, clunky and exhausting process,” he recalls. “I knew we should be able to do better.”

Over the past decade, he and his team have worked tirelessly to fine-tune the technology. “Our mission is to create a more inclusive world where no one is held back by their ability to see,” says Professor Nanayakkara.

The implementation and impact of open source AI on AiSee's development cannot be overstated. The collective efforts of developers and researchers have enabled AiSee to create a solution that makes a real difference in people's lives.