normy foxyoreosMar 10

RE: https://mastodon.social/@Gargron/116206874904164848

I always bring up auto-captioning as a (non-LLM) technology that is probably a net-win for accessibility, but that still led to Youtube ending up with *WORSE* closed captioning, because as soon as they got machine transcription, they dropped community transcription options.

Machine transcription on Youtube led to a local maximum where community options that often resulted in better transcriptions are now unavailable and everything is kind of meh.

Show threadnormy foxyoreosMar 10

I have also mildly criticized Mastodon over this with its AI alt text features. They're not an LLM, and they're probably good for accessibility, but their existence has hobbled alt text on the platform.

We could have better community alt text controls on Mastodon, and I think part of the reason we don't is because of a mentality that accessibility is just like a chore we have to solve.

And I think the AI stuff helps reinforce that, a bit.

Show threadEugen RochkoMar 10
@foxyoreos Mastodon does not have an AI alt text feature. You may be thinking of some third party apps.
Show threadnicole mikołajczyk
@Gargron @foxyoreos if neural network-based OCR is not example of AI, then what does this word even mean?
Mar 10 at 10:28pmWeb
Show threadEugen RochkoMar 10
@mkljczk @foxyoreos AI is a marketing term and functionally useless. It means whatever big tech wants it to mean. I studied neural networks at university back in 2013, before there was even a whiff of a large language model. OCR was described in books from 2001.
Show threadnormy foxyoreosMar 11

@Gargron @mkljczk I do think there's value in distinguishing between OCR, a technology almost as old as I am, and full-on image transcription.

I'm used to using the term AI for both, but I don't have any objection to anypony else using a different term and I understand why Gargon would want to distinguish them.

Show threadnicole mikołajczykMar 11
@foxyoreos @Gargron I'm fundamentally opposed to defining 'AI' as 'whatever big tech declares to be AI'
Show threadnormy foxyoreosMar 11

@mkljczk @Gargron I mean, I don't have a problem with either of these positions. I'm used to using "AI" for both as well. I also feel the frustration of trying to distinguish technologies.

I do think there's a difference between LLMs and OCR regardless of the umbrella term, and I understand wanting to make that difference clear. People/critters can use the word "AI" or not, I don't have strong opinions about a specific word.

Show threadnormy foxyoreosMar 11
@Gargron @mkljczk bringing up OCR in the context of Mastodon is less about "oh even Mastodon uses AI" and more about "if I have mild concerns about the accessibility aspects of a technology as simple as OCR, that's nothing compared to the potential downsides of a technology being hyped by LLM evangelists as THE answer to accessibility."