What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? A Simple Guide for People with Disabilities

When Oduor first heard about smartphones, he dismissed them. "Too complicated," he thought, sticking to his kadude phone. For years, he missed out on features like voice dialling, video calls, and messaging apps. But when a friend showed him how a voice assistant could read his messages out loud—something that would have made his life so much easier as someone with low vision—Oduor realized the power of embracing new technology.

Like Oduor, many of us are unsure about new things, especially when they seem complex. But sometimes, what seems difficult at first can become life changing. One such innovation is Artificial Intelligence (AI)—a technology already helping millions, especially people with disabilities, to live more independently and confidently.

Imagine if your computer or phone could think, learn, or make decisions—just like a person. That’s the basic idea behind Artificial Intelligence, or AI.

So, what exactly is AI?

AI is when a computer or machine is taught to act like a human brain. It doesn’t have feelings or thoughts like a person, but it can be trained to recognize things, solve problems, make decisions, and even learn from mistakes—just like we do.

For example:

• When you ask your phone, “What’s the weather today?” and it answers you out loud—that’s AI.
• When Netflix or YouTube suggests a video you might like—that’s AI.
• When a car drives itself using cameras and sensors—that’s a very advanced kind of AI!

In simple words, AI is like a very smart helper inside machines that can:

• Understand what you say
• Look at pictures and recognize what’s in them
• Read and understand text
• Learn from experience, like getting better at doing something over time

How Does AI Learn?

Let’s compare it to how a child learns:

• A child sees many pictures of cats and dogs.
• Over time, they learn to tell the difference.

AI does the same thing! It looks at thousands of pictures (or sounds, or words), finds patterns, and learns what’s what.

This learning process is called Machine Learning (ML)—a big part of AI.

Main Types of AI (Explained Simply)

Here are the most common types of AI in everyday life:

Machine Learning (ML):
This is when AI learns from experience. For example, if you correct a voice assistant, it remembers and improves next time.

Natural Language Processing (NLP):
This is how AI understands what people say or write. It powers voice assistants like Siri or Alexa and chatbots that talk back to you.

Computer Vision:

This helps AI “see” and understand images. For example, your phone recognizing your face to unlock is a type of computer vision.

AI is All Around Us

You might not see it, but AI is everywhere:

• It helps doctors diagnose illnesses.
• It powers navigation apps that give you the fastest route.
• It even runs smart home devices like lights and thermostats.

For people with disabilities, these smart tools can make daily life easier, more connected, and more independent. And the best part? Many AI tools can be used just by speaking, tapping, or listening—no complicated steps needed.

Article by: Maryanne Emomeri