AI accessibility? Blind gamer puts ChatGPT to the test

Blind Japanese eSports gamer Mashiro tests AI chatbot for independent travel in Tokyo, highlighting potential for disabled individuals.

Japanese eSports gamer Mashiro is blind and often relies on a companion to get around Tokyo -- but he hopes that artificial intelligence, hailed as a promising tool for people with disabilities, can help him travel alone.

The 26-year-old ‘Street Fighter’ player put the latest version of AI chatbot ChatGPT to the test on his way to a stadium for a recent Para eSports meet-up.

“I can’t participate in an event like this without someone to rely on,” he told AFP. “Also, sometimes I just want to get around by myself without speaking to other people.

“So if I can use technology like ChatGPT to design my own special needs support, that would be great.”

This year, the US firm OpenAI, released GPT-4o, which understands voice, text and image commands in several languages.

The generative gadget, along with others such as Google’s Gemini, is part of a fast-growing field that experts say could make education, employment and everyday services more accessible.

Following the streets’ tactile paving, Masahiro Fujimoto – who goes by his online handle Mashiro – used his stick adorned with a small monkey mascot to find his way from the station.