AI is evolving fast, raising concerns about automation, job security, and its impact on interpreting. Will AI replace interpreters? What if competitors go fully AI? Historically, big corporations have controlled technology in Deaf spaces, prioritizing profits over people. We saw this with VRI and VRS—systems that, for 20 years, ignored Deaf consumers' needs.

Convo disrupted that model with Convo Now, shifting control to Deaf individuals and interpreters. It wasn’t about new technology but who controls it. Now, with AI, we face the same challenge. Will corporations dictate the future with cost-cutting solutions, locking us into another cycle? Will a cartoon avatar define AI-powered interpreting?

AI should be open to everyone—Deaf people, interpreters, and hearing individuals. That’s why Convo is launching AI within our Sandbox—a space for testing, learning, and shaping its future. Instead of top-down decisions, we invite you to participate, ensuring AI serves people first. We’re here to make AI accessible, spark imagination, and redefine what’s possible—this time, on our terms.

As part of this vision, Lexi is the first experiment from Convo’s Sandbox, developed in partnership with SignSpeak, a Deaf-focused leader in accessibility innovation. This is not about replacing interpreters—it’s about expanding possibilities. With every individuals' input, we ensure AI evolves as a tool that empowers rather than restricts, keeping control where it belongs: in the hands of the people it serves.