About 10 years ago, it would have been hard to believe that you could ask a Bluetooth speaker for a classic cheese soufflé recipe or take a picture of an object using your phone and find out exactly where to purchase it. Yet, here we are.

These interactions have been primarily realized through advancements in machine learning AI. One of the biggest developments in AI over the past three years has been in the area of voice recognition[1] and natural language processing and we’re starting to see advancements in more complex human machine interaction in the form of image/video search.

Forward-thinking businesses are already using this new form of machine learning AI image recognition to allow users to search for products using pictures to find the same or similar looks and outfits they stock. However, does this mean intelligent image search is the next big thing?

Early days for image search an AI

Major search engines have supported a form of ‘image search’ for some time. Google introduced ‘Google images’ back in 2001 because of a demand for pictures of Jennifer Lopez in a green Versace dress which the regular Google search couldn’t handle. The functionality eventually evolved into being able to drag and drop pictures to find the same or other similar images the user was trying to match against.

The image search[2] referred to today shouldn’t be confused with what now seems like relatively basic functionality (much like how ‘voice search’ today is more than the basic input of text search using your voice). The advancements in ‘image search’ allow for an extremely high degree of accurate image classification by recognizing elements and objects based on specific attributes identified within

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