Digital Accessibility with Responsible AI

From videos to podcasts to webinars, there’s a vast ocean of information out there. But what about those who can’t access it as easily? What about the deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals, for whom consuming audio content poses a challenge? These are the questions that Frans Olsthoorn, CEO of Scriptix, addressed regarding digital accessibility and responsible AI on the recent Jet-Stream Streaming Innovations webinar.

The Need for Accessibility

Frans Olsthoorn highlighted the pressing need for making content accessible to everybody. Did you know that around 5% of the world’s population is deaf or hard of hearing? That’s a whopping 466 million people! For them, accessing audiovisual content without captions or transcriptions is simply not feasible. Moreover, with over 80% of online content being consumed without sound, the importance of visual accessibility becomes even more apparent.

Legal and Ethical Imperatives

It’s not just about doing the right thing; there are legal and ethical imperatives too. Frans mentioned the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), which are soon to apply to both the public and private sectors. These guidelines, aimed at improving web accessibility, emphasize the importance of making digital content perceivable, operable, and understandable for all users, regardless of their disabilities. Compliance with WCAG not only aligns with ethical considerations but also ensures legal adherence and broadens the reach of content to a larger audience.

How Scriptix Steps In

Scriptix, with its suite of AI services, offers solutions to address these accessibility challenges. Through automated subtitling, transcription, and translation in 35 languages, Scriptix empowers content creators to reach a global audience seamlessly.

Journalists, subtitlers, and localization companies are also benefiting from this technology. By automating tasks like transcription and subtitling, journalists can save up to 50% of their time, while localization companies can streamline their processes and meet tight deadlines.

Respecting Privacy

Privacy is paramount in today’s data-driven landscape. Frans reassured the audience that Scriptix prioritizes data privacy by training AI models on opt-in customer data only and processing data exclusively on EU-based cloud infrastructure. This commitment to privacy underscores Scriptix’s dedication to responsible AI practices.

Expanding Possibilities

Looking ahead, Scriptix aims to further expand its offerings. By adding features like real-time translation, context biasing, and automated WCAG compliance checks, Scriptix continues to innovate in the realm of digital accessibility. Moreover, by offering these services as both cloud-based and on-premises solutions, they ensure flexibility and choice for their users while maintaining stringent privacy standards.

Content Accessibility with Jet-Stream

Jet-Stream makes sure everyone can enjoy videos and other content easily. Whether it’s text, video, or audio, our platform supports a variety of accessibility options. With multi-vendor multi-audio streaming, we offer seamless transitions between different media formats, making your content accessible in multiple ways. For instance, we enable text-to-video, audio-to-text, and even audio and text translations. Our recent collaboration on Multi-Language Live Streaming for WHO demonstrates our commitment to accessibility on a global scale. 

By providing multi-language subtitle and audio support, along with integration options for AI-powered translation services, we empower you to reach wider audiences while ensuring a user-friendly experience. Plus, we keep everything safe and private on our European cloud, so you can trust your data is secure with us.