W3C

– DRAFT –
(MEETING TITLE)

22 January 2025

Attendees

Present
janina, jasonjgw, John_Paton, Josh, Joshue, Joshue108, Raja, scott, scott_h
Regrets
-
Chair
jasonjgw
Scribe
jasonjgw, janina

Meeting minutes

Accessibility of machine learning and generative AI.

jasonjgw: Notes catch-up discussion just ahead of this call

scott_h: Josh has additional framing to contribute; focus on reliability qualitative assessment

scott_h: Once we review we'll move it to github

josh: Yes

scott_h: Can proceed weekly ...

jasonjgw: Relating ...

jasonjgw: Noted another reasoning model; and we should expect more and more of them ...

jasonjgw: Improved reasoning appears to be fruitful just now

jasonjgw: Programming, math tasks, also some more generic testing

jasonjgw: e.g. OpenAI model that solves problems in an area it was not trained on

jasonjgw: Suggests we could see a11y support in areas not trained

raja: Some models have become better at atypical speech

raja: In general AI has become better at this

jasonjgw: Good news; useful to know

<Joshue108> thank you raja

josh: ack josh

Will be looking at different domains; e.g. remediation as current doc

josh: also we will be skeptical

jasonjgw: Also notes regulatory changes with new U.S. administration

jasonjgw: However does not affect exdpectations e.g. in E.U.

<Joshue108> JS: Was there any regulation?

jasonjgw: Notes Biden Executive Order requiring reporting re safety, etc., has been rescinded

jasonjgw: Asks whether Australia has made decisions?

scoDiscussion, but seems on hold pending elections

jasonjgw: Anything else we should note today?

raja: Q: U.S. Government actively trying to remove DEI

raja: Intellectual disabilities -- there is overlap in DEI

raja: So hiring practices no longer include DEI goals

raja: difference between inclusivity and accessibility

jasonjgw: Some ML application?

raja: Yes

jasonjgw: So less incentive to make sure models appropriately consider in candidate pool

raja: Yes, one possibility. Not clear

raja: What long term impact is we don't yet know

josh: Yes, many concerns

<Joshue108> Good points Raja

jasonjgw: Traditionally we think of a11y considerations in tech

jasonjgw: Now have emerging class of apps that are making decisions, or influencing decisions about pwds -- a potential source of discrimination unrelated to UI

jasonjgw: e.g. eval of video of interviews

<Joshue108> JS: Has anyone grabbed a copy of Project 2025?

<Joshue108> JS: For the disability access

<Joshue108> JS: Raja - no this is on my to do list

<Joshue108> JS: Would you please?

<Joshue108> A good road map.

<Joshue108> JOC: What is that?

<Joshue108> JS: Its a Heritage foundation report think tank - under prep as the operation plan for the new republication administration would hit the ground running

<Joshue108> So they can function right from the get go.

jasonjgw: Notes we sometimes cite relevant regs in W3C docs

<Joshue108> JW: Regarding the intersection of regulation and policy about AI regulation in the EU.

jasonjgw: Asks Josh about related conversations in E.U.?

josh Unsure

Joshue108: On a personal level my son's school is embracing AI as part of the toolset he can use in school

Joshue108: What they do will likely be damage mitigation

Joshue108: I'm concerned on impact on young minds

raja: Will be presenting trying to differentiate AI Accessibility re pedagogy

raja: e.g. improving English skills with AI assistance

raja: Universities will decide which classes can and cannot use AI

raja: currently class by class

Joshue108: Clarifies university? High school?

raja: University

scott: I teach a course at University; It's OK to use AI as long as one declares it's use

scott: Notes we're using AI to discover undeclared AI use

scott: For now AI use remains somewhat obvious--so not as problematic as it's likely to become

jasonjgw: Expecting tutoring apps will become cheaper to develop

jasonjgw: Expecting interactive dialog approach likely

jasonjgw: If there's no script involved, we need to bear in mind with natural lang models; this is different from our previous discussions

jasonjgw: Any additional consideration for Josh's next note revision?

jasonjgw: OK. Will bring back next week

jasonjgw: Notes CTAUR is now published and announced

Announcement here: https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-wai-announce/2025JanMar/0000.html

scott: Word is spreading fast and lots of compliments already!

<Roy_Ruoxi> wai news

<Roy_Ruoxi> w3c news

Calendar

jasonjgw: I'm away the 12th, Scott will facilitate

janina: I'm away first week of March

Minutes manually created (not a transcript), formatted by scribe.perl version 242 (Fri Dec 20 18:32:17 2024 UTC).

Diagnostics

All speakers: janina, jasonjgw, josh, Joshue108, raja, scott, scott_h

Active on IRC: janina, jasonjgw, Joshue108, JPaton, Roy_Ruoxi, scott_h