Tag: Technology

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Speaking My Language

Photo from Unsplash by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona

Despite the fast paced changes of society in recent years, that can be seen as both negative and positive; there is something to be excited about: the race to space. 

For years, the space industry has been focused on researching and understanding different galaxies beyond our universe. However, as of recently we are seeing a rise in interest to travel into space by both the private and government sectors. Elon Musk is trying to build the first successful space colony on Mars with flight tickets going out in late 2026 (subject to change check the website for all updates). NASA is currently working on a project to land the first woman on the moon and is hoping to make space tourism sustainable by the year 2028. While these are all exciting goals for mankind to look forward to, we tend to forget about possible encounters with different species and the potential barriers; to be more specific, understanding what the hell they are saying half the time. 

Language is a very complex system that human beings have used for years to help us communicate our inner thoughts. So much so that we have over 300 languages spoken today and approximately half of the population can speak two or more languages. With that in mind, who is to say that we are prepared to communicate with them? Who is to say that there are not any alien languages that we will all have to understand in order to join the ranks of space? We have seen in history that language barriers have caused problems in society, we may end up repeating history in a different environment if we are not careful. We have seen this in the past with numerous historic examples such as European expansion into the Americas, Africa, and Asia. The language barrier was a major key factor for colonization and while we as a species have managed to move past this and have become more open to understanding the language of others, we do often still have issues understanding one another especially in this day and age with numerous mediums. 

If anything, we can state that this is a time for us to improve our language and communication skills amongst each other as mankind prepares for our next giant step into the stars. 

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IAutism

Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash

Can artificial intelligence be the next leading advancement for those with disabilities?

In the year 2021, the world has progressed to help accommodate those who operate in a nuerodiverse manner in society. In fact, progress still continues to this day to help improve their lives from therapy to advanced technology. Currently, science has started to look at a new method to help improve the social & communication skills of those on the spectrum, artificial intelligence. 

Humans have always been social creatures that feed off each other’s energies. For those with autism who experience higher levels of anxiety when interacting with a new person, it can cause social interactions to be extremely difficult; as well as cause problems for them to operate in the workforce. Without a doubt, everyone is slowly becoming aware that artificial intelligence will be integrated into a number of career and education fields. Therefore, taking some of the anxieties that come with human interaction away and allowing new doors to open for those with autism to interact with the world. 

One of the latest technologies that is utilizing artificial intelligence for children with autism is the QTrobot. QTrobot was designed by LuxAI and has a unique built in operating system that can be programmed to suit every child’s needs. With the stigma that comes with nonverbal communication when having human interactions eliminated, QTrobot is able to vividly and clearly display different emotions that help build social skills that can then be applied to real world human interaction. 

Children on the autism spectrum would work alongside the QTrobot & a trained specialist to help them progress at a quicker pace to help them adjust to school and the workplace. QTrobot can also be programmed to help children with autism desensitize from over stimulating situations. To make a personal connection with the use of AI and autism, my own sister has been more inclined to use her verbal communication skills when she has interacted with Amazon’s Alexa, which does whatever she commands it to do which I think she is fascinated with. With this new technology incorporated into early intervention of children with autism, we could accelerate their progression to adjust to society. 

Along with having the assistance of AI that will be implemented in a number of work areas, we can expect more ASD friendly career choices to emerge to give opportunities that we have never seen before. 

Source: Lexi.com