Original title: More Than Just Access: Generative AI as Communication Intermediary for Blind and Low-Vision Users
Protik Dey, Mohd Saifuzzaman, Taslima Akter · September 2026
Blind and low-vision people often rely on family or friends to read labels and describe scenes. Today, people are turning to artificial intelligence tools instead. Generative AI tools, like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Be My AI, and Seeing AI, can turn visual details and text into words users can hear. Researchers interviewed 19 blind and low-vision participants to see how these tools work as helpers. They found that these AI systems are beginning to replace asking other people for assistance. The tools succeed at reading and describing the world, but they can also fail. By acting as go-betweens, these tools bring clear benefits along with real risks. To keep users safe and independent, these systems must protect information and honestly share when they are uncertain.
Imagine you are trying to read a menu in a dark restaurant. Normally you would ask the person next to you to read it aloud. But if that person is unreliable or doesn't tell you when they are guessing, you might order the wrong dish. In this paper, the AI is like that unreliable friend — it can read the menu quickly, but it doesn't always admit when it's unsure, and the user has to decide whether to trust it.
When a blind person asks an AI to describe a scene instead of calling a friend, they gain speed and privacy but lose the human judgment and trust that comes with a personal relationship. This study reveals that AI tools are reshaping how BLV people navigate the world — and that the design of these tools can either support genuine independence or create new vulnerabilities.
The abstract doesn't say what the limitations are. It describes a qualitative interview study with 19 participants, which suggests findings may not be generalizable, but no specific limitations are stated.
Ask anything about this paper. Answers come from its abstract, and say so when the abstract doesn't cover your question.
More Than Just Access: Generative AI as Communication Intermediary for Blind and Low-Vision Users — Protik Dey, Mohd Saifuzzaman, Taslima Akter
Abstract licence: CC0
Explanation generated by Synthesis from the abstract — it is not the original paper. This is a preprint, so it hasn't necessarily been peer reviewed.