SAN FRANCISCO — The video that closed out Microsoft’s day one keynote at the Build conference today showing a visually impaired Microsoft engineer, Saqib Shaikh, navigating his day with the help of a virtual assistant that narrates the world around him.
For example, in a meeting, the “Seeing AI” virtual assistant can describe the apparent moods and level of engagement of the people around the table, giving Shaikh the types of visual cues that he would otherwise be unable to perceive. In a restaurant, the app can help him take a picture of the menu, and then narrate the different options for him.
The app works with smartphones and smartglasses. It’s an outgrowth of a hackathon project, and it’s not a shipping product, but the technology showed the potential of the “Conversation as a Platform” approach that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella introduced this morning at the Build conference.
Watch the video above, and see our live blog for a recap of the keynote.
