AI Support for the Deaf: A Blessing or a Curse?

Hello dear readers,

Today, as a deaf person myself, I want to shed light on an exciting topic: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential to support the lives of deaf people. How can AI be meaningfully used in everyday life? I will present three concrete examples of its application.

Translation from Sign Language: The Bridge to Written Language

Many deaf people find written German challenging, as German Sign Language (DGS) is their native language.

The auditory component of written language, which conveys intonation and emotions, is not accessible to deaf people. This is where AI can bridge the gap.

The key is the phonetic transcription of sign language – a 1:1 transfer of gestures into text form. Facial expressions and emotions, which are essential in DGS, must be explicitly described, as AI cannot (yet) interpret them independently.

We provide this information to the AI, which then creates a translation into standard German or – for journalistic purposes – into a correspondingly more sophisticated German.

Example prompt for an example translation from DGS sign language into journalistic German:

Translate from DGS sign language to journalistic German:(Facial expression: sad) Official website of Dragon Ball series has announced that this anime Dragon Ball Daima will end soon. On February 28th, the finale will arrive and then it's over. I think it's sad that such a great series by Akira Toriyama is ending like this. Unfortunately, creator Akira Toriyama died so early so the series will not continue. 17th episode was released last Friday. But if released every week like this, then yes episode number 20 is the end.

The output then results in the following:

The official website of the Dragon Ball series has announced that the anime Dragon Ball Daima will soon come to an end. The finale will air on February 28th, concluding the series. I personally find it sad that this great series by Akira Toriyama is ending. Unfortunately, the creator, Akira Toriyama, passed away prematurely, so the series cannot be continued. The 17th episode was released last Friday. If the weekly release rhythm is maintained, the series will end with episode 20.

Exciting, isn't it? Instead of journalistic German, you can also use standard German:

Translate from DGS sign language to standard German: Informal address:

The result is then, it is written more personally (differences in German nuances):

The official website of the Dragon Ball series has announced that the anime Dragon Ball Daima will end soon. The finale will air on February 28th and then it's over. I think it's sad that such a great series by Akira Toriyama is ending like this. Unfortunately, the creator Akira Toriyama died so early, so the series will not be continued. The 17th episode was released last Friday. If a new episode continues to appear every week, then episode number 20 will be the end.

AI as a Text Optimizer: More Than Just Grammar

AI can not only translate, but also improve texts. It checks for grammar and sentence structure errors and optimizes the flow of the text.

Example (with some errors):

Improve text so that it is more fluent and grammatically correct:One advantage of the Windows alternative from the Far East is the modern look that comes with DDE. As Microsoft is doing for the first time with Windows 11, the icons in the taskbar are centered here. Formerly, the Deepin system was based on Ubuntu, today it is completely independent based on Debian-APT. DDE (Deepin Desktop Environment) is Deepin's own window manager. DDE is based on QT, as is KDE for Linux.

Output:

The Windows alternative from the Far East, Deepin, impresses with a modern look, characterized in particular by the Deepin Desktop Environment (DDE). The taskbar icons are centered, similar to Windows 11. Deepin is now a completely independent system based on Debian-APT, after previously being based on Ubuntu. DDE, the in-house window manager, uses Qt as a basis, as does KDE for Linux.

Overcoming Writer's Block: AI as a Source of Ideas

Everyone knows the feeling: You have an idea, but the beginning is missing, your thoughts stall.

Here, AI can serve as a source of inspiration. You can either research an interesting topic and use the text or – and this is particularly exciting – record your own thoughts in sign language in front of a webcam.

The video then serves as the basis for transcription, using the phonetic method again (see point 1). Those with a strong imagination can even forgo video recording.

The Future: Directly Recognizing Sign Language?

A look into the future: Wouldn't it be fantastic if AI models could translate sign language directly from videos or live streams?

I have already brought this wish to OpenAI. They were enthusiastic and forwarded the idea to their feedback team.

But it will probably be years before it is ready for the market.

Which AI Models Are Suitable?

For deaf people, I particularly recommend Google Gemini. This model is characterized by creativity and a wide range of text variations.

ChatGPT from OpenAI is also an option, but it is more specialized in journalistic, scientific texts and storytelling.

I would rather advise against DeepSeek, as it offers less text information and there are concerns regarding data protection (data transfer to China).

Conclusion: AI – A Valuable Companion

For me, Google Gemini is the clear favorite. I use the paid Advanced version (€21.99) to support me in everyday tasks related to text processing and creativity.

I hope this insight into the possibilities of using AI for deaf people was helpful and inspiring!