THE FIFTH PARAMETER
Novara Consulting Group · Novara Press · Journal of Governance and Evidence in Accessibility AI
The Fifth Parameter, Vol. 1 · Issue no 13
AUTHOR Heather M. Grizzle
ORCID 0009-0005-2605-8256
EVIDENCE DATE Current to August 2026
KEYWORDS sign language AI; independent evaluation; evidence classes; SignGemma; transparency; trust; Deaf access
Qhov tseem ceeb tshaj plaws hais txog AI thiab lus taw tes xyoo 2026 tsis yog yam uas tshwm sim.
It is what did not happen.
Nyob nruab nrab lub Ib Hlis thiab lub Yim Hli, cov tuam txhab tau tshaj tawm khoom, qhia cov kaw lus, sau nyiaj, thiab hais txog yav tom ntej ntawm kev sib txuas lus. Cov twj tshiab tau raug nthuav qhia tias sai dua, muaj peev xwm ntau dua, thiab ze rau kev siv niaj hnub. Qee tus khoom raug qhia nrog cov ntsiab lus lom zem. Lwm tus tuaj nrog cov lus lav tseem ceeb txog cov ntaub ntawv qhia, sij hawm teb, lossis tus lej lus taw tes uas lawv paub.
Yam uas tsis tau tshwm sim yog cov pov thawj ywj pheej tias cov kaw lus no ua tau raws li lawv tau hais. Tsis muaj ib tug neeg thib peb tau tshaj tawm ib qho kev ntsuas rau pej xeem txog qhov tseeb, qhov yuam kev, lossis kev nkag siab ntawm tus neeg siv rau ib qho kaw lus tseem ceeb uas Index tau tshawb xyuas. Kev tshawb nrhiav cov qhov chaw yuav tsum tau muaj tsis pom ib qho kev sim ywj pheej rau Signapse, Sorenson AST, Rylo Sign, Sign-Speak, ChatSign, SignVrse, Talksign, lossis Google’s SignGemma.
Cov lus tseeb tshaj tawm ntawm qhov kev tshawb pom tau ceeb toom tias: tsis muaj pov thawj Chav A “pom raws li Lub Yim Hli 2026”. Qhov no tseem qhib rau qhov muaj peev xwm tias qee cov pov thawj muaj nyob qhov twg deb ntawm cov ntaub ntawv pej xeem. Nws tej zaum yuav nyob hauv ib lub tuam txhab, khaws cia los ntawm ib tug neeg yuav khoom, lossis nyob hauv kev tshawb fawb uas tsis tau tshaj tawm.
Tab sis pov thawj uas tsis tuaj yeem tshuaj xyuas tsis tuaj yeem txhawb ib qho kev thov pej xeem. Qhov sib txawv no tseem ceeb vim tias kev lag luam no tsis tau nyob twj ywm. Nws tau tsim ib txoj kev tshaj tawm ntxiv, kev koom tes, kev qhia, thiab cov dab neeg txog nyiaj txiag. Kev pom zoo yog ib qho kev nce sai. Txawm li cas los, cov pov thawj pej xeem uas yuav tsum tau siv los txiav txim txog qhov kev nce ntawd tsis tau nrog raws.
A field can be busy without becoming accountable. It can generate news without generating knowledge.
Three kinds of evidence
Index faib cov pov thawj rau peb hom loj.
- Chav A yog pov thawj ywj pheej. Nws los ntawm ib tug neeg thib peb thiab suav nrog cov kev ntsuas uas tuaj yeem tshuaj xyuas tau: qhov tseeb, qhov yuam kev, kev tshawb fawb txog kev nkag siab, kev sib piv nrog lwm cov kaw lus lossis kev ua tau raws li tshaj tawm.
- Chav B yog pov thawj los ntawm lub tuam txhab lossis koomhaum uas lav khaws lub kaw lus ntawd. Nws tej zaum yuav muaj cov ntsiab lus tshwj xeeb tab sis lub koomhaum uas hais tau tias tseeb yog tib lub koomhaum raug tshuaj xyuas.
- Chav C muaj cov lus hais: cov lus hauv kev tshaj tawm, kev tshaj tawm khoom lag luam, kev xam phaj, kev nthuav qhia, lossis xov xwm uas tsis tuaj yeem tshuaj xyuas ywj pheej.
Qhov no tsis txhais tau tias txhua qhov kev thov Chav B lossis Chav C yog cuav. Ib lub tuam txhab tej zaum yuav piav qhia nws cov khoom ncaj ncees. Ib pab neeg ua haujlwm ntawv tshuaj tej zaum yuav tshaj tawm ib qho tseeb. Ib qho kev qhia tej zaum yuav qhia tau qhov kev nce qib tiag tiag. Teeb meem yog tias tsis muaj ib qho ntawm cov no teb tau qhov lus nug tseem ceeb: kaw lus ua tau licas thaum ib tug neeg uas tsis muaj txiaj ntsig hauv nws txoj kev vam meej los ntsuas nws?
Xyoo 2026, yuav luag txhua qhov kev txiav txim rau pej xeem txog AI thiab lus taw tes tseem nyob ntawm cov ntaub ntawv Chav B lossis Chav C. Cov tuam txhab yog tus muab cov lus thov, cov lus, thiab feem ntau, cov kev ntsuas uas cov lus thov ntawd raug nkag siab. Kev ntsuas ywj pheej feem ntau tsis muaj.
The SignGemma problem
Google tus SignGemma muab qhov piv txwv uas pom tseeb tshaj plaws. Thaum tshaj tawm, tus qauv no tau txais kev nyiam vim nws zoo li tau muab cov peev txheej ntawm ib lub tuam txhab thev naus laus zis loj los pab rau AI lus piav tes. Cov lus hais txog nws suav nrog kev cob qhia ntawm 10,000 teev ntaub ntawv thiab lub sij hawm nyob qab 200 milliseconds. Cov naj npawb no khiav mus deb vim lawv qhia ob qho tib si txog qhov loj thiab qhov ceev.
Kaum tsib lub hlis tom qab, tus qauv no tseem tsis tau raug tshaj tawm raws li kev cai. Cov neeg ua hauj lwm ntawm Google tau lees paub qhov no ntawm lub tuam txhab AI Developers Forum. Kev sib tham no tseem txuas ntxiv mus txog thaum Lub Rau Hli 2026. Cov kws tshawb fawb los ntawm Pakistan, Egypt thiab lwm qhov chaw tau thov kev nkag mus. Lawv tsis tau txais.
Qhov no tsim tau ib yam khoom pej xeem txawv txav: ib tus qauv uas tuaj yeem sib tham tab sis tsis muaj kev sim, hais txog tab sis tsis muaj kev tshuaj xyuas, tos ntsoov tab sis tsis tau siv. Yog tsis muaj kev nkag mus rau tus qauv no, cov neeg sab nraud tsis tuaj yeem rov ua kom tau cov txiaj ntsig tau tshaj tawm. Lawv tsis tuaj yeem tshuaj xyuas seb cov ntaub ntawv cob qhia raug sau ua ke li cas, sim seb nws ua tau zoo li cas thoob plaws ntau hom lus tes, lossis nrhiav seb nws coj tus cwj pwm li cas nyob nraum cov piv txwv uas tswj tau. Yog li ntawd, cov lus hais txog qhov loj ntawm kev cob qhia thiab lub sij hawm nyob tseem yog Class C.
Google lub npe zoo tsis hloov txoj cai ntawm cov lus no. Kev muaj hwj chim yuav ua rau ib qho lus ntseeg tau ntxiv, tab sis nws tsis ua rau qhov lus ntawd ywj pheej. Kev rov hais dua tsis hloov ib qho lus qhia kom los ua kev ntsuas. Qhov tseem ceeb tsis yog tias SignGemma yuav tsum ua tsis tiav. Qhov tseem ceeb yog tias cov pej xeem tsis tau txais txoj kev ntseeg siab kom paub tias nws ua tiav lawm los tsis tau.
Accuracy is not a single number
Kev sim ywj pheej muaj feem tseem ceeb tshwj xeeb rau thev naus laus zis lus piav tes vim lo lus "raug" tuaj yeem npog ntau li nws qhia tawm. Ib lub kaw lus tuaj yeem ua tau zoo nyob rau hauv cov lus tsawg raug kaw cia thaum muaj duab teeb zoo tab sis nyuaj rau kev sib tham ib txwm. Nws yuav paub cov lus tes los ntawm cov neeg uas lub ntsej muag zoo li cov nyob hauv nws cov ntaub ntawv cob qhia thaum ua tsis tau zoo rau lwm tus. Nws yuav qhia tau raws li cov lus tes tsis sib xws tab sis poob lub ntsiab lus thoob plaws ib nqe lus. Nws yuav ua hauj lwm rau ib hom lus tes thiab raug tshaj tawm txhaws li nws ua hauj lwm rau lus tes feem coob.
Cov lus tes tsis yog cov lus hais uas tau hloov ua qhov teeb tsa. Lawv muaj lawv tus kheej cov cai hais lus, kev sib txawv ntawm cheeb tsam thiab kev coj noj coj ua. Lub ntsiab lus tuaj yeem nyob ntawm kev txav, qhov chaw, lub sij hawm, kev qhia ntsej muag thiab kev sib raug zoo ntawm cov lus tes. Ib lub kaw lus uas paub tes tab sis tsis pom lub ntsej muag yuav tsim tau cov lus tab sis poob lub ntsiab lus ntawm nqe lus. Txawm yog ib tus naj npawb sau tseg raug siab zoo los tsis qhia peb ntau yog peb tsis paub tias dab tsi raug sim, leej twg tau koom nrog thiab dab tsi suav tias yog qhov teb raug.
Puas yog lub kaw lus tau sim ntawm cov lus tes ib qhov twg lossis kev sib tham txuas ntxiv? Puas yog cov neeg koom nrog tau paub zoo rau tus qauv no? Cov Deaf lus tes puas tau txiav txim seb qhov tshwm sim puas muaj lub ntsiab lus? Puas yog kev txhaum tsuas suav nkaus xwb, lossis lawv tau raug tshuaj xyuas rau qhov muaj tej yam phem tshwm sim? Kev sim puas suav nrog cov hnub nyoog sib txawv, xim tawv nqaij, hom kev sib qhia tes thiab kev sib txawv ntawm cheeb tsam? Cov no tsis yog cov ntsiab lus qib ob. Lawv txiav txim siab txog qhov naj npawb ntawd txhais li cas.
Yog li ntawd kev kawm txog kev to taub muaj feem tseem ceeb nrog rau cov kev sim thev naus laus zis. Ib lub kaw lus tuaj yeem tau txais qhab nia zoo heev thaum tseem tsim tau cov lus tshwm sim uas cov neeg siv pom tias txhawj xeeb, tsis zoo ib txwm, lossis dag ntxias. Qhov kev sim kawg tsis yog seb tus qauv puas ntes tau kev txav. Nws yog seb cov neeg puas nkag siab thiab tso siab rau qhov nws sib txuas lus.
The cost of anticipation
Kev cog lus rov hais dua tias ib lub kaw lus ua tau zoo tab tom los muaj feem xyuam. Ib tus qauv tsis tau tshaj tawm tuaj yeem nyob hauv qhov chaw uas cov kev pab ua hauj lwm tiag tiag yuav ua tau tag nrho. Nws tuaj yeem tsim cov kev txiav txim txog nyiaj txiag, cuam tshuam cov kev sib tham txog kev cai, thiab txhawb kom cov koom haum tos qhov kev nqis peev rau kev pab neeg ua hauj lwm. Nws tuaj yeem ua rau cov kev tsis txaus zoo li tam sim no zoo li ib nyuag hloov, txawm tias tsis muaj sij hawm teem tseg lossis pov thawj pej xeem twg txhawb qhov kev ntseeg ntawd.
Qhov no yog kev cai ntawm kev tos ntsoov. Kev pab yeej yuav los txhij txhua zaus, yog li tsis muaj kev pab nyob rau tam sim no raug suav tias tsis tas yuav ceev heev. Rau cov neeg siv Deaf, tus nqi ntawd yog qhov siv tau tiag tiag. Ib lub tsev kho mob, tsev kawm ntawv qib siab, tus tswv hauj lwm, lossis lub koom haum pej xeem yuav taw qhia txog thev naus laus zis uas tab tom tshwm sim los ua pov thawj tias kev nkag mus zoo tuaj. Tab sis ib qho kev tshaj tawm zoo li muaj vam tsis tuaj yeem txhais ib qho kev sab laj kho mob. Ib qho kev qhia ua piv txwv tsis tuaj yeem lav tias yuav muaj kev nkag mus rau chav kawm ntawv. Ib tus qauv uas cov kws tshawb fawb tsis muaj cai nkag yog tib yam li tsis muaj rau cov neeg uas lawv lub neej raug siv los ua pov thawj rau nws txoj kev tseem ceeb.
Muaj lwm tus nqi. Thaum kev nyiam pej xeem sau ua ke rau cov kaw lus uas tsis tau raug sim ywj pheej, cov koom haum me me uas muab cov kev pab tsis tshua yog xwm txheej tab sis ntseeg siab tau dua tuaj yeem ploj ntawm qhov pom tseeb. Cov neeg txhais lus tes, cov kev pab hauv zej zog, thiab cov kev coj ua nkag mus siv tau uas twb muaj lawm tsis tshua tau txais kev txaus siab zoo li tib tus qauv AI tshiab. Lawv raug txiav txim raws li cov nuj nqis tam sim no, thaum thev naus laus zis raug suav tias tsim nyog rau yav tom ntej. Kev sib piv no tsis sib npaug. Cov kev pab uas twb muaj lawm yuav tsum teb tau txog nws cov kev txwv tam sim no. Tus qauv uas cog lus yuav tau tso cia zoo meej meej vim nws tseem tsis tau los txog.
What transparency would require
Qhov tsis muaj pov thawj ywj pheej tsis nyuaj txhim kho hauv qhov tseeb. Cov neeg tsim khoom tuaj yeem muab kev nkag mus rau cov kws tshawb fawb tsim nyog ua ntej tshaj tawm cov lus hais tias nws ua tau zoo. Kev soj ntsuam tuaj yeem raug tsim los ua ke nrog cov Deaf lus tes es tsis yog tsuas ua rau lawv xwb. Cov ntaub ntawv sim, txoj kev thiab lus txhais tuaj yeem raug tshaj tawm. Cov txiaj ntsig tuaj yeem raug faib raws li hom lus, xwm txheej, thiab pab pawg neeg siv es tsis yog muab ua ib tug naj npawb tshaj tawm tib leeg xwb.
Cov kws tshawb fawb yuav tsum tuaj yeem tshaj tawm cov kev ua tsis tiav yam tsis txhawj txog kev tso cai los ntawm lub tuam txhab uas raug soj ntsuam. Tsis muaj ib qho no yuav tshem tau qhov tsis paub tseeb. Kev tshawb fawb ywj pheej tuaj yeem raug tsim qauv tsis zoo. Cov ntsuas tuaj yeem muab nqi zog rau cov qauv ua tau zoo nqaim xwb. Cov txiaj ntsig uas tau tshaj tawm tuaj yeem qub thaum cov qauv hloov, txawm li cas los kev soj ntsuam uas tsis zoo tag nrho zoo dua kev pom tseeb uas raug tswj hwm. Ib qho kev ntsuas pej xeem muab ib yam dab tsi rau lwm tus los nug, rov ua dua lossis txhim kho. Ib qho lus hais uas tsis muaj kev txhawb nqa tsuas muab ib yam dab tsi rau lawv los faib tawm xwb.
Kev pom tseeb kuj txhais tau tias yuav tsum meej meej txog yam qhov kaw lus tsis ua tau. Ib qho khoom uas tsim los rau xwm txheej txwv tsis txhob raug piav qhia raws li ib qho kev daws teeb meem dav dav. Ib tus qauv uas tau sim ntawm ib hom lus tes tsis tsim nyog tau txais cai qiv lo lus "lus tes" tus cwj pwm zoo li nws yuav siv tau rau lus tes txhua yam. Ib qho piv txwv yuav tsum raug qhia tias yog ib qho piv txwv. Ib tus qauv tsis tau tshaj tawm tsis yuav tsum raug suav tias yog tsev khaws ntaub ntawv pej xeem.
The Fifth Parameter
Technical systems are often judged by familiar measures: speed, scale, cost and accuracy. The missing measure is trust. Trust is not another performance claim. It is the result of making claims testable. It grows when outside researchers can inspect a system, when users can describe its failures and when evidence remains available after the announcement cycle has moved on. This is the fifth parameter.
Raws li qhov ntsuas ntawd, kev lag luam AI lus piav tes nkag mus rau Lub Yim Hli 2026 nrog rau qhov tsis txaus loj heev. Nws muaj cov khoom, cov lus cog tseg thiab kev tshaj tawm. Yam nws tsis muaj yog pov thawj ywj pheej pej xeem nkag mus tau rau cov qauv uas tau txais kev nyiam ntau tshaj.
Qhov tsis muaj no tsis txhob suav tias yog ib qho tsis muaj ntaub ntawv ib ntsis nyob rau tam sim no. Nws yog ib feem ntawm xwm txheej tam sim no ntawm thev naus laus zis. Txog thaum cov neeg soj ntsuam ywj pheej tuaj yeem ntsuas cov qauv no, tus lus teb ncaj ncees rau ntau nqe lus nug txog lawv qhov ua tau zoo tsis yog tias lawv ua tau zoo, lossis tias lawv ua tsis tiav.
It is that the public has not been given enough evidence to know.
Declaration of interests The author is founder of Novara Consulting Group LLC, which builds and licenses the Sign Language Access Trust Index referenced in this article, and edits The Fifth Parameter.
Funding None. Produced internally by Novara Consulting Group.
Data and materials The article draws on the public record for the systems named and on the Google AI Developers Forum thread concerning SignGemma.
AI use disclosure The text of this article is the author’s own. AI assistance was used only for typesetting into the branded master; no argument, figure, quotation or citation was generated by the model.
Suggested citation Grizzle, H. M. (2026). The evidence that wasn’t there. The Fifth Parameter. Vol 1 Issue 13. Novara Press.