Conceptual diagram of the AI communication app ‘AAcessTalk’ (Image provided by KAIST)
DAEJEON, May 19 (Korea Bizwire) — A team of South Korean researchers has developed an artificial intelligence–powered communication tool that enables children with minimally verbal autism to engage more meaningfully with their parents, marking a breakthrough in assistive technology for neurodiverse families.
Led by Professor Hong Hwa-jung at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), in collaboration with Naver Cloud AI Lab and the child development center Dodakim, the team unveiled “AAcessTalk”, a tablet-based AI system designed to support personalized, two-way communication between autistic children and their caregivers.
Children with minimally verbal autism (MVA), a subtype of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), often struggle with conventional verbal expression. While traditional tools like picture cards are commonly used in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), they fall short in capturing a child’s interests or emotional nuances.
AAcessTalk overcomes these limitations by using AI to generate customized word suggestions in real time based on context and individual preferences. The interface allows children to initiate or end conversations at their own pace, even offering a button labeled “What about Mom?” to prompt parent engagement.
In a two-week pilot study involving 11 families, several parents reported experiencing true dialogue with their children for the first time. “I was surprised by the unexpected words my child used,” one parent noted. “It helped me understand their linguistic abilities on a deeper level.”
Professor Hong emphasized the tool’s broader goal: “Creating an environment where children can express their voices is critical,” she said. “We plan to continue developing practical technologies grounded in user experience, particularly for socially marginalized groups.”
The research was recently honored with the Best Paper Award at ACM CHI 2025, the world’s leading conference on human-computer interaction, held in Yokohama, Japan.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
