WAS BLIND BUT NOW CAN SEE

Facebook Tech ‘Reads’ Photos to the Blind

A new technology used by Facebook describes photos to blind users.

Photos have long been one of the most important parts of Facebook, and the one part of the social media site that blind users couldn’t enjoy.

That all changed Monday, when Facebook debuted a new feature that uses artificial intelligence to describe pictures to the blind.

“One or more people. Jewelry. Smiling. Nineteen likes,” the feature vocalized in one example.

The feature, called “automatic alternative text,” gives just basic information about each photo, but some blind Facebook users say that’s enough.

“Even having three words just helps flesh out all the details that I can’t see,” one said. “That makes me feel included, and like I’m a part of it too.”

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Nathan Place

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