Syracuse, NY — In our offices in the Equitable Tower in downtown Syracuse, CNY Central conducted the first artificial intelligence (AI) interview our team participated in. “What I can’t understand is that I can’t believe this technology doesn’t exist yet and isn’t being used in a lot of places,” Michael Benny said to the camera on his computer screen.
After a moment, a lifelike avatar on the screen began answering Benny's questions using American Sign Language, while a computer camera showed SignSpeak's chief product officer, Nicholas Kelly, answering the questions and translating them into audio.
Sign-Speak is an AI research and product startup participating in Centerstate CEO's Syracuse Surge Accelerator program. The Surge Accelerator provides direct resources and support to Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) entrepreneurs looking to launch and accelerate tech-related and pro-tech startups.
Sign-Speak's goal is to create an AI solution that empowers deaf and hard of hearing people to interact freely. It enables real-time conversations between deaf and hearing people. No more misunderstandings or missed messages. This is certainly true for Nikolas Kelly of Sign-Speak.
“I was lonely as a child. I didn't have very good social skills and I was shy. I had a hard time making friends, so this would have helped me to have a more social life and come out of my shell.”
Sign-Speak's mission is to complement, not replace, real human interpreters: When the tool is integrated into drive-through restaurants and other points of sale, users can have the same access to products and services as hearing people.
The company's CEO, Yamilet Payano, says the technology offers accuracy above all else. ASL uses different grammar than spoken English. “In English, you might say, 'I went to the store to buy bread.' But in ASL, you might say, 'Me go store, why, bread.' The grammar structures are very different, and the way things are expressed is different,” she said.
Signspeak says it's one step ahead of its competitors in this field: There are many companies trying to get into the space, but Signspeak says its model understands the full range of sign language, not just recognizes a few.
To find out more about Sign-Speak's work, click here
