Post by @amber@front-end.social

RE: https://poliversity.it/@elettrona/117151608097395094

People w/ visual a11y needs have had podcasts well before AI ever came around. If you just need one image for a cover, there are so many royalty free images you can choose from. There are a11y advocates who can help (like me).

I refuse to ignore the ethical/threat implications, as well as all of the data centers that are being built disproportionately in poor black communities that are raising temps, causing harmful pollution, and using up all the water.

Elena Brescacin

@elettrona@poliversity.it 4 hr. ago

RE: https://front-end.social/@amber/117151120365034821

I'm noticing more and more of this tone: "if I encounter an AI-generated image, I'll skip your work whatever it is".

The reason is much understandable: poor quality, ethical issues, apparently no effort.

This drastic trend has caused me to confirm the permanent cancellation of a podcast planning.

What has podcasting to do with AI generated images?

The answer is CASTOPOD.

I'm totally blind, my future blog is going to be just text and images aren't relevant at all, so I honestly have no reason to auto-generate them or involve a sighted person to create every pic or to help me search for it on unsplash or wherever.

The issue comes on Castopod, a fediverse podcasting platform, where a cover image is required to make it respond to other podcasting platforms compatibility. No 1400x1400 image, no publishing. It doesn't even make you pass the preliminary step without pic, (podcast title, description, category)...

Paradoxically, a blind person could have every resource and skill to work on pre and post-production; have a very curated high-quality audio, but no sighted help for the pic. So, generative AI could assist.

Then come all the fuckers who say "if it has an AI generated image I'll skip it". A violent spit on a blind person's face.

Those assholes start from a good point (attempt to isolate dramatically increasing slop) but ending up penalizing also people who use the AI image generation as an assistive aid.

I behave accordingly, changing perspective on what I'm building. But I honestly call this fanatism, as the compromise would be writing "AI generated, blind person without sighted help" and yes, it's my right, to find solutions not to need sighted help every breath. And many sighted folks say "it's the only solutions" because they have never experienced my condition in life (directly or not).

I won't humiliate myself specifying "AI generated pic is just the podcast cover, because it has technical purpose only, I'm blind and my focus is audio".

I gave up with podcast, focus on something where pics are not needed, and send every taliban where they should go.

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Elena Brescacin

@elettrona@poliversity.it 12 min. ago

@amber As usual. A sighted person claiming to be advocate but then just considers their own point of view. You know what it means, searching for images? For you, just point - check - click. For us, ask a sighted to search for something, then maybe stay HOURS until the one sighted -or group of sighted- describe every image they find. Because most of royalty free image sites aren't easy to navigate with screen readers. And, yes, even assuming they are accessible, AI _should_ do the job of describing the image. You like it or not, AI is an aid. And every time I say this, I have to deal with fuckers trying to make me feel guilty, accusing me of deliberately ruining communities and environment.
The damages are real. This is nothing to discuss about, but don't take me. Rather go to accuse Musk, Altman, Amodei, and all those billionaires who are intentionally creating destruction. Blind users are a minority of minorities, compared to all those assholes who place AI even into the toothbrush, in a while. Abusers are others, not me!

Amber Weinberg

@amber@front-end.social 10 min. ago

@elettrona I’m not going to argue with a stranger online who’s calling me names, but I’m just pointing out multiple people in your own thread have offered to help. I haven’t accused you of anything, I only stated my own opinion and you came into my own thread.

Have a nice day!

Elena Brescacin

@elettrona@poliversity.it 2 min. ago

@amber PS don't worry, I won't disturb you any longer. BLOCK button still exists. Bye. Forever.

Elena Brescacin

@elettrona@poliversity.it 2 min. ago

@amber and if I "call you names" as you said, you should ask yourself questions before. I'm defending myself from indirect attacks.

Elena Brescacin

@elettrona@poliversity.it 3 min. ago

@amber This behaviour of making people feel guilty, is like "eat, little boy, because you whine for disliking food while African kids die for hunger".
If all these so-called advocates really care for blind users not to rely on AI tech, they could create a sort of community-based service which sends requests to royalty-free images sites, then the user asks to community "please describe this image", through fediverse. As it hasn't ever succeeded, and you all are saying "you contribute to destroying environment", well there can't be a constructive discussion.

bonfire.cafe

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