How Technology is Not Value Free and Other News on AI and Inclusivity This Week
The best way to understand innovation such as AI is through the impact it has on our lives — and for the tech that liberates users we should celebrate. More on this, adaptive wins and my sister.
If this is your first FromAtoSHE® newsletter, welcome! While the site has had many lives over the years, it's always been focused on women, health and wellness. And now it's also about how innovation can make the lives of women of all abilities a little easier and a lot more joyful.
I focus much of my work on unpacking and decoding technology for families (AI for Families). Coupled with the experiences of friends and family who have found themselves with short- or long-term disabilities, I've been inspired to write about the intersection of the two.
Recently, it's been the words of an NYU professor of robotics that have guided much of my thinking. He said during a roundtable that I attended on ethics and AI: "Technology is not value free."
Professor Ludovic Righetti was referencing the fact that we shouldn't innovate for innovation's sake, but make sure technology is providing the greatest value to the most people.
When you consider that 25% of us will experience a short- or long-term disability in our lives, it does make you wonder if we are indeed focusing enough on how technology can add real value to our lives.
And as women, we aren't always the focus of technology innovation, even as we struggle with changing abilities and evolving responsibilities.
A few things on the radar this week »
Allie Signorelli: Hero on a Mission to Find a Cure for Parkinson’s Disease
While I’m biased, my sister took her Parkinson’s Diagnosis and lit the world on fire with her advocacy. More here about her work, recent media appearances, and plans to help find a cure for the disease »
An Innovation Inspiration: Allie Signorelli
As I began to write more about technology’s impact on our day-to-day life in recent years, my sister was grappling with a diagnosis of Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease. Her experience of this new physical and emotional challenge, coupled with the reality that most of us will face some sort of short- or long-term disability in our lives, became the inspir…
How Smart Glasses Have Gifted Independence to the Visually Impaired
When a technology delights all but has a particular life-altering impact on one group, you know something is right. And that's the case with smart glasses.
While I'm a stickler for data privacy and always advocate for caution on that front, it's incredible to think how the convergence of improved hardware and recent AI advances have helped those who can't see.
How Smart Glasses with Integrated AI are Giving the Visually Impaired More Autonomy
Did you know that wearable devices are transforming millions of lives by providing access to visual information, fostering independence, and opening new possibilities for people living with visual impairments?
A New Breed of Brave and Bold Influencers
It goes without saying that women of all abilities are equally able to be fashionable, clever and inspiring. But right now so many of them are leaning into their differing abilities too and making others feel seen. From athletes to designers and entrepreneurs to entertainers, here are some of the brightest influencers right now.
The New Influencers: Bold, Beautiful, Creative, and Inspiring
The generation that brought us the social media influencer, is also very sensitive to bringing everyone along with them. Diversity, inclusion, design innovation, and boundary-pushing concepts are very much the zeitgeist in the digital realm. And, of course, having a disability is not a trend, but being bold, beautiful, and creative, comes in all shapes,…
What are your thoughts?
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