Can AI be your super hero?

Throughout my career I have ushered in change by embracing new technologies. I’ve always felt that technical advances can be harnessed to improve efficiencies and create opportunities, while reducing a work load of redundant and menial tasks. I’ve never been afraid of being replaced or even threatened by these advances - in fact my motto is “Technology is nothing without Humanity”. So why should AI be any different?

I got to thinking about some of the critically important tasks that are often overlooked because they might be technical in nature, not much fun to do, or the benefit isn’t immediate. One of those tasks is ADA website compliance. It’s far from sexy and it really isn’t much fun - but there is enormous risk in potentially leaving yourself and your company exposed to an ADA non-compliance class action suit. There are attorneys who specialize in filing these actions, preying on businesses that leave themselves exposed.

Can AI be your super hero? Maybe - if it prevents one of these class action suits. Here’s a simple prompt I offered to chatGPT - to review a portion of a website for compliance (it’s my gift to you to play with).

Review this source code to find non-compliance with ADA, Section 508, WCAG, AODA, ACA, IS5568. Present findings in a 3 column table. Column 1: non-compliant code. Column 2: Explain non-compliance and resolution. Column 3: fixed code.

Then, I went to the source code of a website (you can do this in Chrome from the top nav by selecting “View>>Developer>>View Source”.

*Visual guide to viewing the source code of a webpage in a Chrome browser.*

Now you see the source coding of that web page. You need to scroll to find content within the body of the page - there is way too much coding for other page elements and functionality that will far exceed the 4096 characters limit of chatGPT.

You can paste that code into a text file or document to count the characters. You’ll need to leave room for the initial prompt as well, and make sure you add quotations around the code you want reviewed. Then send your prompt - you’ll be impressed with the speed and the response.

*Table showing non-compliance and remedies for a webpage. I added this to make sure this page is ADA compliant.*

The response presents the three column table identifying possible non-compliance code, explaining why it may not comply and provides the rewritten code or remedy. While in this example we’re facing a limit in characters - other AI Natural Language Processors (NLPs) or future versions will remove that limit. You can scan in the entire source code of a site for this compliance review. There was more to the table, but you get the picture.

Think of chatGPT and other machine learning systems using Large Language Models (LLM) as a processor. You have a problem and you want a solution. You express your problem (or idea, or opportunity, or challenge) in the form of a prompt - and send it to your generative AI super hero, and VOILA! Problem solved!

OK - it’s not really that easy - but you will find that fine tuning your prompt, literally conversing with AI to hone in on your challenge comes easily. In this way chatGPT or whatever generative AI you are using becomes a collaborator, and your mutual dialogue leads you to a more concise, specific prompt or request for information that it will deliver.

Back to the example above - chatGPT did provide this caveat:

Please note that the provided code snippet may not include the complete website or all the relevant code, so there could be additional non-compliant aspects that are not covered here.

So consider that as you explore solutions through generative AI, even this technology knows it isn’t perfect.

Trying to understand the terminology better? Visit: Glossary of AI terms: Understanding GPT, neural networks, and more from Intercom.com.

Have fun playing - but remember..