Visual impairment and artificial intelligence (AI)

In recent years, AI has entered silently but profoundly in the daily lives of many blind or visually-impaired people, opening new possibilities of self-reliance, orientation, and socialization. These aren’t “miraculous” solutions, but concrete tools which, if used correctly, can significantly improve the quality of life.

One of the most promising goals is smartphone apps based on visual recognition. By means of the phone’s camera and AI algorithms, these apps can read printed texts, recognize objects, describe environments, identify banknotes, or indicate the presence of people. Daily actions like reading labels, finding your way in a store, or checking an expiration date become easier and reduce dependence on others.

In addition to apps, wearable devices such as smart glasses and portable video cameras providing real time vocal feedback are under development. These technologies can assist orientation and mobility (especially in complex environments), and are an important resource for people with very limited residual vision. However, their use requires adequate preparation and custom assessment of real benefits.

It is essential to point out that technology alone does not replace, but only supplements, functional rehabilitation. Without proper preparation, there is a risk that potentially useful tools will be discarded because they are perceived as complex or ineffective. In this regard, the Cavazza Institute offers consulting services to help select technological aids, adapt them to individual needs, and teach how to best use them.

But there are problems: some devices are still expensive, access to technologies is uneven, and not all digital solutions are designed according to principles of universal accessibility.

Despite these limits, the encounter between visual impairment and AI is one of today’s most stimulating challenges. If developed with an ethical, inclusive, and person-centered approach, technology can become an effective tool for empowerment, able to support self-reliance without replacing life skills, relationships, and human experience.

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