Friends!
Finally able to share that I was lucky enough to be a part of The Age of A.I. a YouTube Original series hosted by Robert Downey Jr. I'm even in the series trailer (shared on social media by RDJ himself)!
I'm featured in the premiere episode (How Far is Too Far?), and the series went LIVE Wednesday (December 18th) on YouTube! Big thanks to Robert Downey Jr, YouTube, and the whole team at Network Entertainment.
If you've watched Despite The Loss, you know that I've never had much use for prosthetics. The lack of dexterity and finger control has always been a deal breaker for me. Truth be told, I’m just faster and more capable without one. But when I first heard about Georgia Tech experimenting with ultrasound technology and A.I. machine learning to allow for the precise control of individual fingers, I thought it was a game changer.
After meeting Jason Barnes at Lucky Fin Project weekend two years ago, who actually had a "hand" in the development of the ultrasound sensor (and also appears in the episode), I was approached by RDJ's team and asked if I'd like to test the sensor for The Age Of A.I. I’m only the second amputee to try this technology EVER.
Up until now, the achilles heel of prosthetics had always been the user interface. Current prosthetics on the market use simple EMG sensors to detect electrical signals while flexing muscles (up/down = open/close, etc.) in the residual limb. Over the years improvements have been made through pattern recognition, so you can flex a combination of movements to cycle through different grip configurations, but the process is still far from perfect.
Imagine every time you wanted to make a fist you had to think about (and preform) a choreographed pattern of muscle movements to do it. Then a different pattern to point your finger, to move your thumb... even after memorizing all the patterns, the process would still be slow and cumbersome. Ultrasound technology does away with all of this, and actually picks up (and maps with machine learning) muscle movement within the residual limb corresponding to each individual finger in real time. You don't have to memorize and flex a certain patten to move a finger, you just MOVE your finger!
Not having a right hand for close to 30 years, then suddenly being able to move the fingers on the Skywalker hand like my real hand (using only my mind and the nerves in my residual limb) was surreal. What an incredible experience getting to play a small part in the development of this technology with Gil Weinberg, Jason Barnes, and the team at Georgia Tech!
The main reason I made Despite The Loss was because I was tired of the way disability was portrayed in cinema, so it was incredibly important from the beginning to tell my story in The Age Of A.I. (and share what it means to be limb different) the right way. There are many kids (and adults) around the world struggling with their limb difference, and seeing someone that looks like you reflected accurately in media can be a powerful agent for change.
I want any story I'm associated with to be sensitive to that fact, so I was upfront with the producers that I wasn’t interested in doing a show that perpetuated the typical "inspiration porn" narrative. The team at Network Entertainment listened to my (many) concerns, and went above and beyond to craft a story that spoke my truth.
I couldn’t be happier with the results, and believe the episode is a big win in the fight for accurate representation of people with disabilities in media. Grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this incredible series.
A lot of very tallented people put their heart and soul into making this episode, check it out below! Please share the episode widely on social media, and don't forget to tag it with the hashtags #AgeOfAI & #DespiteTheLoss
Feel free to join in on the conversation and let us know what you think in the comments below. And stay tuned to our social channels as I plan to release a few behind the scenes photos from the shoot in the days to come.
All the best,
Jason Schneider
Producer/Director: Despite The Loss
