As computational techniques develop, what do you see changing in the community you are contributing to? What future challenges and what ethical issues should you consider for a future to come?

I am working on a communication device that allows a non-verbal person to speak. There are many techniques/technologies that could make the project evolve.

First, the use of AI could be a great add on. It could help to translate different language dictionaries, making Cboard available to a larger audience. It could also be used to predict sentences the user is creating, accelerating the time it takes to make a sentence.

However, the project was created with disabled people in mind, and their understanding of their data, and how it is collected and used, might be limited. They are also more vulnerable to catfish and abuse in the digital realm.

In Cboard there is a space to see all the data collected by the software. It shows you the word most used and used most recently. It is an interesting feature for the caretaker. It can help them learn more about the individual. Although, at the same time, it allows any person that can access the account able to see what the user is saying. It could be dangerous in a situation where the user wants to take preventive measures against someone that has access to the account.

On another point, I think the future of the speaking device is bright. They are used in a lot of different disabilities, from non-verbal autism to cerebral palsy or Alzheimer’s. There are many ways to improve them. For example, Stephen Hawking’s speaking device used eye movement as a selection. Most communication devices are very expensive, the hardware and software can go up to a few thousand. As so projects like Cboard are an amazing idea to help people with disability to talk and advocate for themselves.