- ‘Accessibility is the most important thing … Having four limbs should be a human right,’ says Tilly Lockey, lifelong user of prosthetic limbs, urging accessibility
GENEVA
At the 2025 AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, two extraordinary individuals offered a glimpse of a future where AI not only assists people with disabilities but empowers them to surpass previous limitations.
Nineteen-year-old Tilly Lockey, who has used prosthetic limbs since childhood, shared her journey from traditional, slow, single-grip prosthetics to advanced AI-powered bionic arms capable of switching seamlessly between 30 grip modes.
Developed in collaboration with UK-based firm Open Bionics, her current model – called the Hero Arm – was the result of a collaboration she began at age 9.
“They’re amazing. They’ve broken all the records: fastest, strongest, waterproof,” Lockey said.
She recounted how earlier prosthetics aimed to mimic natural limbs using hyper-realistic silicone, yet left her feeling disconnected and alienated. Today, her custom-printed bionic arms, illuminated by LED lights and designed to be bold and distinctive, celebrate rather than conceal her difference.
“That, to me, is actually really, really fun,” she explained. “It’s like finally being able to step out and be like, actually, your difference isn’t something that you need to hide.”
For Lockey, this shift was not merely technological – it was deeply personal. Empowered by devices that feel both capable and authentic, she now advocates for greater accessibility of such life-changing innovations.
Driving with brain waves
Rodrigo Mendes, an educator, disability rights advocate, and founder of the Instituto Rodrigo Mendes, recently made history by becoming the first person to drive a Formula 1 car solely using his brain waves.
This landmark achievement was enabled by pioneering neurotechnology developed in partnership with Olivier Oullier, co-founder of Inclusive Brains.
“We were not looking for performance,” Mendes clarified. “What we did was to show how something like the technology we use ... can push a team to work together, looking for accessibility and showing people that this collective (effort) can change the future of children.”
The Formula 1 project harnessed machine learning to translate Mendes’ brain activity into real-time commands, controlling the vehicle’s steering and acceleration.
The groundbreaking collaboration began years earlier at a youth leadership event in Washington, evolving into a joint mission to use AI to enhance accessibility, especially among young people.
Public interest surged when Mendes challenged Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton to a race using only neuroheadsets – an invitation Hamilton accepted.
“The race is just an excuse to draw attention to how technology can help with education and inclusion,” Oullier said.
Addressing concerns regarding privacy and data use, Oullier emphasized that ethical considerations are foundational to their projects. He confirmed that users maintain full ownership and control of their data, with transparency and voluntary participation as non-negotiable principles.
“Our project is, by design, a project where people own their data,” Oullier explained. “Nothing is done against people’s will ... and then people keep control of their data.”
Challenges to accessibility
Despite these technological breakthroughs, the harsh reality remains that millions worldwide still lack access to even basic assistive technologies.
According to the World Health Organization, over 2.5 billion people currently require at least one assistive product – a figure expected to surpass 3.5 billion by 2050 as more older adults require multiple products for independent living.
Significant barriers include prohibitively high costs, limited availability, fragile healthcare infrastructures, and a lack of skilled professionals. Even where innovation exists, the challenges of equitable distribution and affordability persist.
“Accessibility is the most important thing,” Lockey emphasized, highlighting her involvement in a UK trial that now enables some National Health Service patients to access bionic limbs free of charge.
“Having four limbs should be a human right.”
In a world racing toward digital transformation, Mendes and Lockey have a shared message that resonates clearly: technology that empowers the most marginalized is not a luxury, but an urgent necessity.
“You’re living in a world that wasn’t really designed for your body,” Lockey concluded. “But that doesn’t mean it can’t be redesigned with you in mind.”
