Matt Kirby: AI and sign language: questions we must ask (BSL)

The European Union of the Deaf (EUD) has shared three new documents about AI and  sign language:

• A guide with 15 rules for how AI should be made with sign languages.
• A contract to protect translators, so they get consent, fair pay, and respect.
• A book that explains the law, culture, and human rights around AI and sign  languages.

Why should people care about this? If you’re like me, you know something about AI.  Maybe from chatbots, Google Translate, or voice assistants. Some people have seen AI  in sign language. But most people do not know the risks.

AI is not the same as a human interpreter or translator. A human interpreter or  translator is registered. They follow a code of conduct. If they make a mistake, you can  complain. There is a process. Something happens. With AI? No.

What should we know? 

AI is not always bad. It can be helpful. It can make information more accessible and  quickly. But AI is not safe without rules.

The problem is not just the technology. The problem is people who build it. People who  think their AI is always right. People who do not listen when deaf people say “this is  wrong.”

Think about the Post Office scandal. Technology errors hurt many people. Some went to prison. Some lost their lives. The worst problem was leaders who said the tech was  perfect. It was not.

The same can happen with AI and sign language.

Why should we care? 

Because this is about our lives. Our safety. Our jobs. Our culture.

What if someone makes a “digital twin” of a deaf translator? What if that twin signs  “Invest in Bitcoin” and people lose money? Who is responsible? What if bad translation  damages the translator’s reputation? Who will fix it or pay damages? Right now — nobody.

What do we need?

UK sign language translators need a framework that gives them:

• Consent – we agree before our data is used.
• Ownership – our language and image belong to us and we get paid properly for it  being used.
• Accountability – someone takes responsibility if it’s wrong.
• Agency – deaf people lead, not just watch.
• Safety – translations must not cause harm.
• Transparent Data – we know where training data comes from.

Signly call this COAAST for short.

Deaf people, deaf organisations and RSLTs must lead. AI should support us, not  replace us. We must approve translations before they go public. We must keep control.

The future of AI in sign language must be built on trust, clear rules, and deaf  leadership. Anything less is unsafe.

Matt Kirby is an actor, writer, translator, and CEO designate of Signly. As an actor, he hashave appeared in Four Deaf Yorkshiremen, Hands Solo, and Deaf Funny.

Photograph by Charlie Swinbourne