The American Society for Deaf Children has partnered with NVIDIA and Hello Monday/DEPT to launch Signs. 

Signs is an AI-powered web tool designed to bridge communication gaps between deaf and hearing communities. Signs empowers users to learn American Sign Language (ASL) while also crowd-sourcing a growing dataset of ASL video content to expand accessibility and understanding. Those new to ASL can receive real-time feedback from an AI-driven 3D avatar, while experienced signers can contribute their skills to a dynamic, community-powered dataset.

According to the World Health Organization, over 466 million people worldwide experience disabling hearing loss, which is expected to double by 2050. 

Anders Jessen, founding partner, Hello Monday/Dept, said, "We’ve long been committed to using technology for social good, and Signs is a continuation of that mission. We are honoured to partner with NVIDIA and the American Society for Deaf Children on this initiative and believe that improving ASL accessibility is an ongoing effort that deserves attention and innovation.”

Michael R Boone, manager, trustworthy AI product, NVIDIA, said, “AI is driving applications that will benefit all communities. With the Signs platform, we aim to accelerate research in areas like sign language recognition, language acquisition, and assistive technologies, helping benefit the entire deaf community.”

According to a statement issued by Hello Monday/Dept, the inspiration behind Signs came from the success of Fingerspelling.xyz, an AI-driven platform launched in 2021 that focused on teaching the ASL alphabet.