My partner Dianne Keck, KPA-CTP, SDC complained to me about her “Gwyneth Paltrow sounding” AI reading tool.
More specifically, she was frustrated that the platform:
• sounded unnatural
• interrupted reading flow with citations and metadata
• struggled with multi-column articles
• read image captions and junk text aloud
• didn’t provide the listening experience she actually wanted
So I asked her to do something simple:
Email me exactly what she wanted the tool to do.
I took her requirements, dropped them into ChatGPT, and using my AAEL framework (AI-Augmented Exploratory Learning), built a working prototype in approximately 29 minutes.
The result:
Human Reader MVP
A lightweight Streamlit application that:
• reads webpages, PDFs, and documents
• removes citations, URLs, captions, references, and metadata clutter
• allows reading from selected text positions
• generates human-sounding neural voice audio
• supports pause, rewind, replay, and playback controls
• can eventually be deployed online instead of requiring local Python execution
And honestly, this is the larger point I keep thinking about with AI-assisted development.
Do we really have to continue suffering through software that almost does what we want?
Or are we entering an era where individuals can rapidly build customized services and platforms tailored to their own workflows, preferences, accessibility needs, and frustrations?
That question is becoming increasingly important in my research surrounding AI-Augmented Exploratory Learning (AAEL).
Because the learning is not just coding.
The learning is:
• identifying friction
• defining requirements
• iterating through solutions
• troubleshooting
• refining outputs
• adapting tools to human needs
The final app matters.
But the adaptation cycle matters even more.
Grab the app at GitHub:
https://lnkd.in/gzjvSBsE
I’ll place a screencast of the app in action in the Comments shortly.
Robert Foreman
Doctoral Candidate – DET
Central Michigan University
Research Focus:
AI-Augmented Exploratory Learning (AAEL)
Cognitive Apprenticeship
How Professionals Learn with AI
NhanceData.com
Email: forem1r@cmich.edu
Mobile: 480-415-0783