An extremely innovative project, even by global standards, was launched almost a year ago by the non-profit organization Science for You – SciFY, in collaboration with the Child and Adolescent Center and other disability support organizations, and the first results are highly encouraging.

With the project “People with Disabilities (PWD) Pioneers in Artificial Intelligence”, people with autism and mental illnesses were trained to develop Artificial Intelligence systems. They then worked on a project in real conditions in collaboration with the NCSR “Demokritos”. This was the first time a very innovative way of employing disabled people in a rapidly developing sector was studied.

The “PWD Pioneers in Artificial Intelligence” program is implemented with the support of the Ioannis S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation and METLEN Energy & Metals.

What jobs can PWDs do in Artificial Intelligence?

A key step in the development of most Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems is their training. Supervised learning is one of the most important and common ways of training these systems. In supervised learning, a human helps a system “learn” how to handle/categorize data in a desired way. This task, called annotation, requires us to characterize the data, that is, to give it a “label” (for example, “this is an orange” while “that is an apple”). There is a great and growing need for people to do annotation.

There are types of annotation that seem to be ideal jobs for people with certain types of disabilities (e.g., autism), where careful, repetitive, and solitary work is required. Of course, the training of PWDs presents important specificities that must be taken into account. At the same time, the preparation of the prospective employer is equally important.

The results

The interesting results began to be seen already from the training phase, where professional therapists were trained in Artificial Intelligence and data annotation. They were also properly prepared to train PWDs in turn. The professionals came from three agencies (Child and Adolescent Center, PEPSAEE, and Early Intervention). All trainers considered this phase very useful and interesting, as it equipped them with new professional skills.

Next, twelve (12) individuals were selected: 7 diagnosed with autism and 5 with mental disorders. The training lasted 3 months and focused on developing skills to perform different annotation tasks (sounds, music, text, and images).

The results showed that high-functioning individuals showed excellent response to instructions and completed the tasks with a very low dropout rate (approximately 3%). There was steadily increasing autonomy, with many individuals working without constant supervision. On the other hand, low-functioning individuals faced serious difficulties in understanding instructions and completing tasks, with a dropout rate reaching 90%. These findings led the team, in collaboration with the PWDs, to decide not to continue with the next phase of the work.

After successfully completing the training phase, 8 trained PWDs (autistic individuals with low support needs and individuals with mental disorders) proceeded to the pilot phase of supported work. In this phase, the participants worked for a fee for 3 months in collaboration with researchers from NCSR “Demokritos”.

Data collection from trainers, beneficiaries, and parents in both phases led to very interesting conclusions. Indicatively:

For PWDs:

• are able and want to do this type of work,
• expressed high satisfaction and high interest in the work,
• stated that they were very satisfied with the work support they received,
• consider the training and experience they gained to be very useful,
• believe that they are presented with new work perspectives that help them in their professional development,
• believe that this work gives them a sense of work identity,
• all employees kept to the schedule, with very few breaks and without substantial dropouts,
• the monotony of the task was considered a factor that affected concentration but was effectively dealt with,
• expressed a clear intention for increased working hours.

The trainers believe that the program:

• is extremely useful for the PWDs as well as for themselves as professionals,
• is of high interest,
• develops new professional skills for both the therapists and the PWD,
• allows them to contribute to something important and feel proud of their contribution.

The parents of the PWDs:

• find the program to be extremely useful,
• believe it gives new professional prospects to their children,
• are very satisfied with the support the PWDs received,
• feel proud of their child’s involvement in such work.

The people behind the project

Mr. Vasilis Giannakopoulos, Chief Marketing Officer of Science For You – SciFY stated: “A year ago, we made a bet: that we would innovate to be able to give new job prospects to our fellow human beings who do not have equal opportunities with the rest. At the same time, we will help make Artificial Intelligence models more inclusive. Thanks to the support of the Ioannis S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation and METLEN, we took the first big step. On the one hand, we exploited the opportunities presented by the explosive growth of Artificial Intelligence. On the other hand, we studied whether the particularities of PWDs can be turned into strong points in the labor market. The first results are very encouraging. Already, people with autism and mental disorders have been trained and worked on the development of Artificial Intelligence systems. And through this process, we have all learned a lot, which we share with the scientific and business community. The next step is clear: we will grow the project with more organizations, professionals, and PWDs. We will open up to new categories of disability. We will learn more to continue to provide new opportunities for innovation and development for all of us.”

Dr. Georgios Iatrou, Mental Health Consultant and scientific coordinator of the autismap.gr information platform of the Child and Adolescent Center stated: “This pioneering project came to bridge for the first time a huge gap between the vocational training of PWDs and their integration into the labor market, and in particular in an emerging field, that of Artificial Intelligence. Through this training process, people with autism and mental disorders can now feel proud that they have acquired skills that seem to increase their chances of employment rehabilitation significantly. Alongside them, their families can also experience greater optimism in an area that has always been of great concern to the communities of PWDs, their families, and caregivers, as well as society as a whole since we all know the exclusions experienced by these vulnerable social groups!”

Ms. Eva Lianou, General Director of the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, stated: “The implementation of the “PWD Pioneers in Artificial Intelligence” program highlights the role of technology as a tool for inclusion and empowerment, contributing significantly to addressing social exclusion. The first results are particularly encouraging, as they confirm the ability of people with autism and mental disorders to participate dynamically in the rapidly developing field of Artificial Intelligence, acquiring valuable skills and work experience. The John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation has consistently supported socially innovative actions that promote inclusion, recognizing the importance of partnerships in creating meaningful opportunities. This specific Program is a typical example of the positive impact that collaboration between organizations can have, leading to a more inclusive and creative working environment, where the potential of each individual is recognized and utilized to the maximum extent.”

Mr. Dimitris Papadopoulos, Executive BoD Member & Chief Corporate Governance & Sustainability Officer at METLEN Energy & Metals, stated in this regard: “METLEN Energy & Metals has consistently supported initiatives that promote inclusion and sustainable development, contributing to the creation of a more just and inclusive society. The ‘PWD Pioneers in Artificial Intelligence’ program is a shining example of how innovation can be combined with social inclusion, and the first results prove that technology can and should be a tool for social progress.”

See the detailed results of the survey here.  (in Greek)

More information about the project can be found here.

Watch the Video with the impressions of the participants.

*Part of the multimedia used was developed with Generative AI