Photo: A seminar themed "AI-powered accessibility: redefining digital inclusion" is held in Beijing on September 25, 2024. Photo: Courtesry of CUC

Experts and scholars from China and abroad shared their research and insights on AI-powered accessibility communication at a seminar held in Beijing on Wednesday that was co-hosted by the Communication University of China (CUC) and UNESCO.

Themed "AI-powered accessibility: redefining digital inclusion," the seminar aims to explore pathways for empowering the accessible dissemination of information through digital technologies, providing practical solutions and innovative service models for global information openness and digital inclusion. 

Seminar attendees shared their research and insights from aspects such as technological transformation and product innovation, contributing to the construction of a digitally inclusive society.

The CUC has actively participated in accessibility focused capacity building in AI era sharing Chinese wisdom, plans and strength for smoother barrier-free communication and building of a more inclusive environment, Lin Haibo, vice president of CUC, said in his address to the seminar. 

Shahbaz Khan, director of the UNESCO regional office for East Asia, acknowledged CUC's innovative "Guangming (light)  Cinema" and "Guangming (light) Museum" projects. 

By creating barrier-free films and museums for visually impaired individuals, the accessible information dissemination projects demonstrate how technology and innovation can pave the way for an inclusive cultural pathway, Khan said. 

He stated that the benefits of AI can only be fully realized if the principles of inclusivity, diversity, and equity are adhered to in the development of applications. Through the Information for All Program (IFAP) and other initiatives, UNESCO aims to promote a global dialogue on the ethics of AI and advance the development of digital inclusion policies and practices.

Clips of barrier-free films produced by the "Light Cinema" project were screened in both Chinese and English during the seminar. 

In 2017, CUC, in cooperation with Beijing Gehua CATV Network and Dongfang Jiaying Television Cinema Media Co Ltd, lunched "Light Cinema" public welfare project. More than 800 teachers and students have since volunteered to produce more than 700 barrier-free films for the visually impaired. Volunteers add voice descriptions of the images in movies between the dialogue and sound, allowing people with visual impairments to enjoy the films.

The seminar was held at the Academic Center of the CUC on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the university.