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Contact UsUse gAI to assist with Image Description
Combine your SME knowledge with AI to build image descriptions of varying levels
Introduction
Feeling stuck when writing image descriptions? Generative AI can be a powerful tool that works in tandem with your Subject Matter Expert knowledge to create accessible image descriptions including both alt-text and longer descriptions.
Keep the following guidelines in mind:
- Descriptions should be relevant to the context used.
- Descriptions should only include visual aspects of the image. No context nor non-visible elements should be included.
- Alt-text is generally up to 120 characters.
- Always review and revise generated content before publishing.
Tips and guidelines
Mindful queries can help you achieve relevant responses, although refining the query and editing the results are frequently still necessary for optimal results. Consider applying one or more of the guidelines below, if applicable:
- Restrict the character limit to 120 characters for alt-text.
- Instruct the AI to ignore the background if it doesn’t contain any relevant visual details.
- Ask for more detail for long descriptions.
- You still might need to manually adjust the text; for example if you have names, pronouns, etc. that are relevant to the context.
Remember that long descriptions (more than 120 characters) require both a link to the long description, and also a link from the long description back to the original image location.
For PowerPoints, an appendix section can be created and slides with long descriptions (or titling them “text descriptions” might be more user-friendly for students not familiar with the term long description) can be located there. Then the slide with the image should have text that links to the description slide, and the description slide links back to the image slide.
On Canvas, long descriptions might be on a separate Canvas page (with links to and from) or included in the text before or after the image.
Examples
Example 1
Image by , found in on OpenStax.org.
Copilot query: “Describe image for accessibility in under 120 characters.”
Result: “Man interacts with a humanoid robot at a tech conference booth with research displays in the background.”
Possible edits, if relevant:
- Specify that the man pictured is Steve Jurvetson (for example, if discussing venture capitalists by name).
- Specify that the robot has a human-styled face and hands.
- Remove reference to research displays.
Example 2
Image by Rick Goldwaser, as found in on OpenStax.org.
Copilot Query: “Describe for accessibility.”
Response: “Here鈥檚 an accessibility-friendly description of the image:
The image shows a rugged, high-altitude landscape featuring two ancient, twisted trees with thick, gnarled trunks and branches. These trees are bristlecone pines, known for their weathered and contorted appearance. The bark is a mix of warm brown and gray tones, with deep grooves and swirling patterns that give the trees a sculptural look. Snow covers the ground in patches, contrasting with scattered rocks and low shrubs in muted green and brown hues. In the background, there are more trees and a gently sloping hillside under a clear, pale blue sky, suggesting a cold, dry environment typical of mountainous regions.”
Auto-generated refinements available as buttons:
- “Make it shorter for alt text.”
- “Add more detail to the caption.”
- “Describe the scene in winter.”
Refinement query: “Ignore background, describe in 120 characters or less.”
Response: “Twisted, gnarled bristlecone pine with thick, weathered bark and swirling patterns on its massive trunk.”
Example 3
Image from on OpenStax.org.
Copilot query: “Describe for accessibility.”
Response: “The image is a graph illustrating the concept of a therapeutic window in pharmacology. The graph has the following components:
-
- Axes:
- The vertical axis (y-axis) is labeled Drug Effect (Cp).
- The horizontal axis (x-axis) represents time, though it is not explicitly labeled.
- Curve:
- A smooth, orange-colored curve rises from the bottom left, peaks near the center, and then gradually declines toward the bottom right.
- This curve represents the drug concentration in the body over time.
- Key Points and Labels:
- Onset of effect: Marked on the rising part of the curve where the drug first reaches the minimum effective concentration for a desired response.
- Peak effect: Indicated at the highest point of the curve.
- Duration of action: Shown as a horizontal arrow spanning the portion of the curve above the minimum effective concentration for desired response.
- Therapeutic Window:
- Defined as the range between two horizontal dashed lines:
- The lower dashed line represents the minimum effective concentration for desired response.
- The upper dashed line represents the minimum effective concentration for adverse response.
- The space between these lines is labeled Therapeutic window.
- Defined as the range between two horizontal dashed lines:
- Additional Notes:
- The therapeutic window is the safe and effective range of drug concentration.
- If the drug concentration exceeds the upper limit, adverse effects may occur.
- If the concentration falls below the lower limit, the drug may not be effective.”
- Axes:
Description Notes:
- Notice that the “additional notes” section is information that is not visible or noted in this graph, so we should remove this section.
- A tactile version of this curve might be useful for various types of learners.
Links and Resources
- Add a Long Text Description Appendix to PowerPoints
- Make Images Accessible
- (included with the 海角社区 institutional subscription)
- (free to use)
- 听 (limited free use)
AI Disclosure
Copilot gAI was used as noted for image descriptions and to generate the article image.