Skip to Content

Finding Images

A better way to search online.

Searching for images on the Internet can be hit or miss. That’s because most image searches rely on metadata (text associated with the images, such as file names or dates), and metadata can be incomplete–if it’s there at all. Software that analyzes the images themselves has been notoriously unreliable. But it could get a boost from a technology developed at the University of California, San Diego.

The technology is based on existing systems that learn to describe pictured objects in terms of features like color, texture, and lines by practicing on pictures in a database of known objects. The UCSD system adds a new twist: it assigns each image a likelihood of belonging to categories such as “sky,” “mountain,” or “people.” Then it uses those words to label parts of the pictures. The technique is 40 percent more accurate than typical content-based image-search methods, says Nuno ­Vasconcelos, a UCSD professor.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

DeepMind’s cofounder: Generative AI is just a phase. What’s next is interactive AI.

“This is a profound moment in the history of technology,” says Mustafa Suleyman.

What to know about this autumn’s covid vaccines

New variants will pose a challenge, but early signs suggest the shots will still boost antibody responses.

Human-plus-AI solutions mitigate security threats

With the right human oversight, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can help keep business and customer data secure

Next slide, please: A brief history of the corporate presentation

From million-dollar slide shows to Steve Jobs’s introduction of the iPhone, a bit of show business never hurt plain old business.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.