Artificial intelligence and people with intellectual disabilities, what are new breakthroughs in employment?
Jack smiles and continues to handle his given tasks. Unfortunately, it may not take long before he blunders away. Then there is a beep sound, follows by a screen showing Jack a video with corrections for reference. The trainer in the workshop immediately receives a notification from Jack’s workstation. The trainer will then come to Jack’s assistance, patiently helping him rectify his errors.
You might think that my fantasy could only be seen in a sci-fi movie, or it may only come true 100 years from now. But Accenture has turned my fantasy into an undeniable reality.
– Project Background
In fact, technology has made the goal of social inclusion harder to achieve. While it is possible for us to benefit from existing technologies, the reality is that those born with intellectual disabilities are left behind even further. Insufficient training and lack of available resources hinder them from adapting to technology-based education, hence making it impossiblefor them to enjoy personal and career development as much as we do. Technology has even further segmented them away from the mainstream, as they are struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of technological advancement.
In January 2022, we launched the “Accenture Industrial Worker Assistant” program with Accenture.
The implementation of this project is divided into five stages: exploration, definition, creation, testing and implementation.In consideration of the specific nature of the project and the unique nature of the employees with disabilities, as well as the business, technical and resource availability of the Inclusion Factory, Accenture and the Inclusion Factory finally decided to explore the application of artificial intelligence in the business of “lower gear cover assembly” and developed the “Accenture Industrial Worker Assistant” application, which provides a high fidelity hands-on training environment for factory staff to learn how to assemble parts, as well as improving the efficiency and effectiveness of training in the factory and enhancing product quality by detecting and correcting improper operations during assembly line tasks.
Accenture Liquid Studio Shanghai, Accenture Shenzhen Digital Innovation Hub and Inclusion Factory have overcome the inconvenience caused by the epidemic and have progressively completed product design, data collection, model training and validation through remote collaboration between the three regions.In June, a model of the smallest operational product “Accenture Industrial Worker Assistant” was created in the factory, and further user validation and continuous refinement will be conducted. An easy-to-understand text and images, clear visual navigation, a intellectual model for automatic error correction, and a combination of multiple alert mechanisms are now available for everyone ……
We are using Artificial Intelligence tools and technologies with Augmented Reality to enhance our employees’ skills, assisting them to take part in complex tasks which typically would be beyond their capability. In the short term, we believe that all members of Inclusion Factory, will enormously benefit from this innovative project!But our eye is set much further.
This Project between Accenture and the Inclusion Factory seeks to transcend well beyond the walls of the Inclusion Factory. It has the potential to be a game-changer in the employability of People with Disabilities – who are often considered the world’s largest marginalized group – in China and globally.
