AI Cannot Fix Broken Accessibility Systems — It Depends on Them, Says Anna E. Cook
By
Anna E. Cook (she/they)
Summary
Anna E. Cook argues that AI cannot fix accessibility problems in digital systems; instead, AI inherits and amplifies existing structural flaws. The article contends that the industry narrative claiming AI will "personalize its way out of accessibility" is false, and that true accessibility depends on well-designed foundational systems. Evidence from WebAIM's 2026 Million report shows a reversal in accessibility progress, suggesting the "AI will fix it" mindset is producing worse outcomes at scale.
Source
bskyAI Cannot Fix Broken Accessibility Systems — It Depends on Them, Says Anna E. Cookannaecook.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledAI cannot repair a broken structure. Instead, AI inherits it and reproduces it at scale.
AI depends on the foundation that accessibility builds. When the foundation is wrong, no layer on top can fully compensate.
For the last few years, our industry has been told a story: AI will personalize its way out of accessibility, deterministic design is dead, diagnosis can replace systems thinking, and structural work no longer needs to be done. None of it is true.
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