Short version: Automated captions are getting better, but they still struggle with real-world speech. Human CART captioners deliver accuracy, context, and accountability that AI can’t reliably match—especially when it counts (classrooms, government, legal, medical, technical training).
The core difference
AI captions convert sound patterns to likely words.
CART converts meaning to exact words—by a trained professional who hears context, identifies speakers, punctuates, and resolves ambiguity in real time.
Where AI falls short (and humans don’t)
- Accents, dialects, and varied speech
Humans adapt instantly; AI error rates spike with non-standard accents, speed, mumbling, or code-switching. - Jargon & proper nouns
CART pros prep glossaries (names, drug brands, statutes, course terms) and add terms on the fly; AI guesses from phonetics. - Crosstalk & interruptions
Humans track who’s speaking and label turns; AI often mashes speakers together and drops words during overlap. - Noisy or imperfect audio
A captioner will request a repeat, reposition a mic, or infer from context; AI cannot ask clarifying questions. - Punctuation, formatting & readability
Meaning depends on commas, quotes, lists, and emphasis. Humans format for sense; AI often outputs a breathless paragraph. - Homophones & near-misses
“their/there,” “trial/trialed,” “CART/card,” “cache/cachet.” Humans use context; AI often picks the statistically common word—not the correct one. - Speaker identification
CART can label [Professor], [Student], [Interpreter], [Chair]—crucial for minutes, notes, and study. - Ethical accountability
You know who captioned, can verify training, and can request corrections. With AI, responsibility is opaque. - Privacy & security
CART can run on approved platforms under data agreements. Many AI tools stream to third parties by default. - Accommodation fit
Disability law focuses on effective communication, not “some text on screen.” Human CART is a higher-confidence path to effectiveness in complex settings.
Small examples: why nuance matters
- Technical term
Spoken: “We’ll use cache invalidation before the deploy.”
AI risk: “cash invalidation”
CART: cache invalidation - Medical
Spoken: “Start cefazolin perioperatively.”
AI risk: “ceasar zone”
CART: cefazolin - Names & places
Spoken: “Thanks, Xinyi from Coquitlam.”
AI risk: “Cindy from quick lam”
CART: Xinyi (student), Coquitlam - Legal
Spoken: “Exhibit B supersedes the April MOU.”
AI risk: “super seeds”
CART: supersedes
Why this impacts accessibility (not just “nice to have”)
- Comprehension: Lower errors = less cognitive load for deaf/HOH participants.
- Participation: With accurate turn labels and punctuation, people can jump in confidently.
- Equity: Mis-captioned names, pronouns, or terms create social and academic harm.
- Documentation: In education, government, and legal-adjacent contexts, accuracy affects grades, decisions, and records.
When AI captions can be OK (and when they’re not)
Reasonable for: informal internal chats, low-stakes webinars, or prerecords where you can edit the transcript before sharing.
Use CART for: classes, exams, town halls, board meetings, court/tribunal-adjacent sessions, technical trainings, healthcare, and any accommodation where precision and accountability are required.
A pragmatic, budget-friendly workflow
- Human-first for live: Book CART for the session.
- AI as a helper, not a decider: Use AI only to draft post-event notes, then have humans review (or rely on the CART transcript).
- Glossary prep: Share agendas, slides, and names 24–48 hours ahead so we preload terms.
- Tech checks: Confirm mics, meeting links, and who needs individual displays (e.g., student with laptop, confidence monitor, or embedded player).
- Feedback loop: After week 1, we tune dictionaries to your course or project.
What you can expect from Accurate Realtime
- Human, realtime CART (on-site or remote) with trained captioners.
- Terminology prep for your domain (education, corporate, legal, medical).
- Readable output (speaker labels, punctuation, accessible formatting).
- Optional transcript after the session, per your policy.
- Privacy-aware setup aligned to your institution’s requirements.
Need reliable captions for your class or meeting? → Contact us