Source: Mission Network News, July 2, 2024
In almost every field, artificial intelligence (AI) is making an appearance. DOOR International says that the same is true in Deaf ministry.
With the visual nature of sign language, videos, and pictures are major opportunities for AI integration. However, there are many technical aspects that could make those applications difficult to put into practice.
Effective AI pulls material from a wide breadth of information to generate new content. Rob Myers with DOOR notes that this deep pocket of online information is not available for most sign languages. In addition, he says translating the written word to [visual] sign languages is a more complex challenge to ask of AI than from one written language to another.
However, despite the limitations, AI could potentially aid Bible translation work for sign languages. For instance, rather than showing a real person on a video, AI could replace the features of the signer with an avatar. This would be a much safer option for Deaf Christians in countries where it is dangerous to show their faces.
Speaking of tech advances, see this crazy interactive timeline, Calculating Empires: A Genealogy of Technology and Power Since 1500. Click on the audio tour button (via Flowing Data).