What does Chat GPT think about how AI can help disabled people?

Robin Christopherson | 16 Feb 2023

We’ve all heard of Chat GPT – the almost-human chatbot developed by Open AI – and the media is full of stories about what artificial intelligence might mean for our daily lives and the jobs of millions of people. But how could AI help disabled people? Some predictions are positive, but many are dire, so what can we expect as AI-driven services begin to take hold?

Stephen Hawking with the planet Earth in the background

What does Professor Stephen Hawking say about AI?

Professor Stephen Hawking warned about the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI) on several occasions throughout his career.

One of his most famous warnings was made in a 2014 interview with the BBC, where he stated that AI could eventually surpass human intelligence and become a threat to humanity if not properly managed. He also warned that AI could be used for malicious purposes, such as cyberattacks, and that it could lead to massive job loss as machines become capable of performing tasks that were previously done by humans.

Hawking was a strong advocate for the responsible development of AI and encouraged researchers to consider the potential consequences of their work before creating new technologies. He believed that the development of AI should be guided by ethical principles to ensure that it benefits humanity and does not cause harm.

Have you been fooled?

By the way, everything from ‘dire’ onwards wasn’t me – it was Chat GPT’s response to my question; “When did Prof Hawking warn about the dangers of AI”

That's right, I asked ChatGPT to help me write this article about the perils of AI. In fact, I’ve been using it a lot recently, to put it through its paces.

One very valid criticism it faces (and its competitors such as Google’s Bard) is that it isn’t always correct in its responses.

It always produces very cogent, polished answers that exude an air of authority, but they can include factual errors as well as errors of interpretation and bias. So it’s crucial to fact-check and apply the usual due diligence when using Chat GPT for any task of importance or impact. This is one of the several concerns expressed by the tech media when writing about the coming age of AI.

Read more about AI: How Artificial Intelligence can revolutionise the world of accessibility

Posing a question to Chat GPT

But you don’t want to hear from me about it. Let’s go back to Chat GPT and let it do the heavy lifting for me. I asked it about fact-checking and due diligence, and then followed up with questions relating to its possible impact on disabled people.

So the rest of this article, word for word, is a conversation I had with Chat GPT. It took all of 2 minutes and is copied here verbatim. The only alteration I’ve made is turning my questions into headings to break them up. Is it all correct in its facts or interpretation of the facts? We’d need to check – but it does sound comprehensive, confident, and authoritative to me (wink!)

What is the tech media saying about the future of AI?Open AI logo

The tech media is generally optimistic about the future of AI and its potential to revolutionize various industries and improve our daily lives. However, there are also concerns being raised about the ethical implications of AI, such as job displacement, privacy, and bias in AI systems. There is a growing discussion about the need for responsible AI development and deployment to ensure that AI is used for the benefit of humanity.

There are also predictions about the evolution of AI technology, such as the development of more advanced AI systems that can learn and improve over time, and the integration of AI into more areas of our lives, such as healthcare, education, and transportation. Some experts predict that AI will become a fundamental part of our daily lives, much like electricity or the internet, and will have a profound impact on the way we live and work.

Overall, the tech media is paying close attention to the developments in the field of AI and exploring both its potential benefits and challenges.

How does AI help disabled people?

AI has the potential to greatly benefit people with disabilities in a number of ways:

  • Assistive Technology: AI can be used to develop assistive technologies that can help people with disabilities to perform tasks that would otherwise be difficult or impossible for them. For example, AI-powered devices like speech recognition software and smart home devices can help people with mobility or speech impairments to communicate and control their environment.
  • Improved Accessibility: AI can be used to improve the accessibility of products and services for people with disabilities. For example, AI can be used to develop audio descriptions for videos, making them more accessible to people who are visually impaired.
  • Enhanced Medical Care: AI can be used to improve medical diagnosis and treatment for people with disabilities. For example, AI-powered devices can be used to monitor the health of people with chronic conditions and alert their care providers in the event of any changes or emergencies.
  • Increased Employment Opportunities: AI can help people with disabilities to find employment and participate in the workforce. For example, AI-powered tools can help to match people with disabilities with employers who are looking for their skills and abilities.

In summary, AI has the potential to greatly improve the lives of people with disabilities by providing them with more opportunities, greater independence, and enhanced quality of life.

Are there dangers associated with AI for disabled people?

Yes, there are some potential dangers associated with AI for disabled people:

  • Bias and Discrimination: AI systems are only as unbiased as the data they are trained on. If the data used to train AI systems contains biases, the systems themselves can perpetuate those biases, leading to discriminatory outcomes for disabled people.
  • Job Displacement: The use of AI in the workforce has the potential to displace disabled workers, who may have difficulty competing with AI-powered systems for employment opportunities.
  • Lack of Accessibility: While AI has the potential to improve accessibility for disabled people, there is also a risk that AI systems themselves may not be accessible to people with disabilities. For example, AI systems that rely on visual interfaces may not be usable by people who are visually impaired.
  • Privacy Concerns: People with disabilities may be more vulnerable to privacy violations when using AI systems, as these systems may collect and use sensitive personal information.
  • Dependence: People with disabilities may become dependent on AI systems for essential tasks, which could put them at risk if those systems were to fail or malfunction.

Overall, it is important to consider the potential dangers associated with AI for disabled people, and to work to mitigate these risks through responsible AI development and deployment. This may include implementing measures to prevent bias and discrimination, developing accessible AI systems, and ensuring the privacy and security of personal data.

Further resources: