Discover how AI can enhance web accessibility by automatically generating image descriptions and alt text in Plone. Learn about the project, its challenges, and future possibilities
In today's digital world, accessibility is essential to ensure all users, including those with disabilities, can access web content. My Google Summer of Code 2024 project with the Plone Foundation aimed to address this by leveraging AI to automatically generate alt text and descriptions for images uploaded through Plone's image block and bulk upload features.
This talk will explore the project's motivation to improve ADA compliance and enhance the experience for users relying on screen readers. I'll discuss the development of an AI tool using the Gemini API to generate image metadata, making content more accessible.
We will cover the technical challenges encountered, including handling various image formats, optimizing API calls, and ensuring the AI model outputs accurate descriptions.
In this talk, I will provide an in-depth exploration of the "Volto-gemini-alt-text" project developed during my Google Summer of Code 2024 experience with the Plone Foundation. The session will begin by discussing the importance of web accessibility and how automating the generation of alt text and image descriptions can significantly improve the user experience for individuals with disabilities, especially those who rely on screen readers.
I will walk the audience through the process of designing and implementing an AI-based tool using the Gemini API, which automatically generates descriptive metadata for images uploaded via Plone’s image block .
The technical aspects of the project will also be covered including the challenges faced during development. This will involve discussing the complexities of handling various image sizes. I will also share insights on the learning experiences gained in prompt engineering and working with different AI models, like Gemini.
I will also share a video demo for this feature working.
By the end of the talk, attendees will have a comprehensive understanding of the project’s development journey, its impact on accessibility, and future possibilities for enhancing Plone using AI technologies.