- The Blind Can Film Festival is hosting screenings and an art exhibit on Jan. 23-24 in Tallahassee.
- The art is created by A.I. that generates images from hour-long interviews with each blind artist about their life and memories.
- Watch now to hear from the founder of the Blind Canvas Project and one of the blind artists involved in the project.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A new meaning to the idea of a blank canvas.
"You've heard that picture is worth a thousand words, but what if you've never seen a picture before?"
I'm Alberto Camargo in the College Town neighborhood.
Where artificial intelligence isn't just being used for science.
It's creating visual art from the lives and stories of the visually impaired.
You may not know what it's like to be blind...
"This eye is completely blind. I've had multiple surgeries. This eye I have a teeny, tiny tunnel of vision."
But you probably know the feeling of achieving something you didn't think you could.
Thanks to the powers of AI... and of our memories...
The Blind Can Film Festival is turning the impossible... into reality.
Founder Ben Fox says all it takes is a conversation.
"We bring in a person that's blind, they tell their story to the AI, to all of us. And the AI is able to spit out five images from that one hour interview. They are that person's images from their mind that they wanted to share."
This image came from the mind of Wayne Pearcy, an intern of Ben's who studies jazz at Florida State University.
Wayne was telling the story of when his dad bought him his first trumpet.
"I definitely wouldn't have thought that this is anything I would have been able to interact with."
The AI is simply a tool. The brilliance comes from within.
"I literally never thought that was possible. I'm trying not to cry that much anymore. I really just never thought that was possible."
Still not a believer? See it for yourself.
The Blind Can Film Festival will host screenings of its films at the Challenger Learning Center on January 23rd, and an exhibit at the Capitol Building on the 24th.
In College Town, Alberto Camargo, ABC27.
