IBM and Inclusive Brains, a leader in non-invasive neurotechnologies and multimodal artificial intelligence, have entered a joint study agreement to experiment with advanced AI and quantum machine learning techniques. The aim of the joint study is to boost the performance of multi-modal brain-machine interfaces (BMIs).

Innovation with Positive Social Impact
BMIs have the potential to enable individuals with disabilities—particularly those who have lost the ability to use their hands or voice—to leverage connected devices and digital environments to regain control of their surroundings, eliminating the need for vocal commands or physical operation of a keyboard, screen or mouse. Inclusive Brains aims to improve access to education and employment opportunities using the insights generated in the joint study. Beyond better inclusion of people with paralysis, Inclusive Brains aims to broader societal benefits, including improved prevention of both physical and mental health issues among the wider population thanks to enhanced classifications and therefore a better understanding of brain activity patterns.

Microsoft at its Build conference today announced one of the better use cases for AI yet: to empower those with disabilities. Dubbed the AI for Accessibility Initiative, this Microsoft program will see $25 million dollars being deployed across five years to further research and development to specifically target challenges faced by people with disabilities in three key areas: human connection, employment and modern life. The $25 million budget will be used by Microsoft as seed grants for developers, universities, institutions and other Microsoft partners, with the Redmond-based Microsoft pledging to also further invest - and scale up - development for key promising ideas that are birthed from this project. The AI bit comes from its implementation in inclusive design scenarios, scaling it up through platforms, services, and different solutions.

Further, Microsoft will help partners include accessibility solutions on their products, which could allow for a base model for accessibility technologies on families of products. Microsoft President Brad Smith said there are about a billion people around the world with some kind of disability, either temporary or permanent, and it's for these people, and those that will come after, that Microsoft is committing to this investment.