Assistive technology specialist Envision has launched a public beta of ‘ally’, which is an accessible, personalised, and conversational AI assistant designed to help people of all ages and abilities.

ally aims to support people of all ages and abilities, including blind people, those with sight loss, and elderly individuals.

The overall goal is to make navigating everyday life easier and more efficient. For example, ally can provide a quick description of the environment around the personal or can assist with a recipe.

The innovative tool provides accurate, clear answers in seconds by choosing the best AI tools for each task.

Karthik Kannan, CTO at Envision, explained: “With ally, our goal is to create an AI assistant that is not only smart but also boasts highly efficient function-calling. By combining multiple open-source models and selecting the best approach for each query, ally delivers fast, reliable answers tailored to each user.”

ally is also personal and inclusive. It learns the user’s preferences and habits, providing insights and suggestions tailored specifically to them. The tool provides customisable options for personality, response style, name, and voice.

Alex Patel, an early beta tester who is blind, said: “I’ve been impressed with how personal ally feels. When I asked for a recipe, it suggested vegetarian options based on my preferences. Another time, it helped me find a book I was looking for in the library. It’s like having a helpful companion that understands my needs.”

Initially, ally will be available as a mobile app on both iOS and Android devices. It will also be available as a new feature on Envision Glasses, which are Envision’s assistive glasses that are designed to give people with sight loss greater independence by articulating everyday visual information into speech.

People who are interested in experiencing firsthand how ally can simplify and enhance everyday tasks can sign up to the public beta at ally.me. People who sign up to the beta will also be able to shape the future of AI assistance by providing feedback.

In the future, Envision says that ally will expand to other mainstream wearables, desktops, web platforms, and more.