Paris is planning to require visitors and residents to show a QR code on their phones to enter certain parts of the city for the upcoming Olympic games. This has raised concerns about digital exclusion, as not everyone has a smartphone or the ability to use one, according to The Metro.

This is not a new issue. During the pandemic, QR codes were used for things like checking vaccination status and accessing menus at restaurants. This left some people unable to participate in these activities.

The trend of using QR codes and apps is continuing. Many restaurants now use QR codes for menus and ordering, and car parks are moving towards cashless payment systems that require QR codes or apps.

This can be a problem for people who don’t have smartphones or who are not comfortable using them. For example, one lady, Linda Raddon, told The Metro that her father cannot order his own repeat prescriptions online because the service is now digital. He also relies on Linda to manage his banking because many local bank branches have closed.

“Fortunately, my dad has a Blue Badge, so he can usually park for free without registering,’ says Linda, a later life coach who helps carers of elderly parents craft and enjoy their own happier later lives,” she said. “But he doesn’t have a smartphone and would struggle to use a parking machine that needed registration and payment details. I can see how this would hinder people’s independence-even if you are well enough to drive and go out alone, you can’t because of the technology.”

As society becomes increasingly reliant on technology, it is important to consider how this can exclude people who are not able to keep up.

Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of the words “Artificial Intelligence AI” in this illustration taken, February 19, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Visually-impaired Nigerian Kehinde Olutubosun is a geography and animal enthusiast who struggled to find information because he has no smartphone. But that is changing, thanks to an Artificial Intelligence-powered mobile phone that works offline.

The service, launched by Canada-based Viamo in Nigeria last month, allows anyone – even in the middle of nowhere without the internet – to access AI technology.

Viamo uses a traditional handset to tap into local mobile phone networks to send commands or requests for information through SMS or voice calls.

It works like other AI chatbots and can be used by illiterate persons since it can be prompted by voice. It is also cheaper.

“For people who are not that financially buoyant, they still have this opportunity to use even as little as 10 naira to ask lots of questions that will actually benefit them, I am so happy,” said Olutubosun.

Viamo said the device was targeted at the world’s poorest and remotest communities and is being expanded to Pakistan, India and Tanzania after being first launched in Zambia.

Viamo is supported by development agencies in the United States and the United Kingdom, among others. UNICEF has partnered with Viamo to provide information on HIV, tropical diseases, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene.

LAGOS:

Visually-impaired Nigerian Kehinde Olutubosun is a geography and animal enthusiast who struggled to find information because he has no smartphone. But that is changing, thanks to an Artificial Intelligence-powered mobile phone that works offline.

The service, launched by Canada-based Viamo in Nigeria last month, allows anyone – even in the middle of nowhere without the internet – to access AI technology.

Viamo uses a traditional handset to tap into local mobile phone networks to send commands or requests for information through SMS or voice calls.

It works like other AI chatbots and can be used by illiterate persons since it can be prompted by voice. It is also cheaper.

“For people who are not that financially buoyant, they still have this opportunity to use even as little as 10 naira to ask lots of questions that will actually benefit them, I am so happy,” said Olutubosun.

Viamo said the device was targeted at the world’s poorest and remotest communities and is being expanded to Pakistan, India and Tanzania after being first launched in Zambia.

Viamo is supported by development agencies in the United States and the United Kingdom, among others. UNICEF has partnered with Viamo to provide information on HIV, tropical diseases, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)