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Google crowdsources human intelligence for AI

Lauren Kate Rawlins
By Lauren Kate Rawlins, ITWeb digital and innovation contributor.
Johannesburg, 30 Aug 2016
Google is calling on users to help its AI machines recognise text in pictures and handwriting.
Google is calling on users to help its AI machines recognise text in pictures and handwriting.

Google wants its users to use their spare moments to complete micro-tasks for the company.

The tech giant released an app, called Crowdsource, this week which asks users to perform quick and simple tasks to improve the company's artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.

The company says these small tasks will have a "huge impact" and make "the Internet a better place for [the users'] community".

Machines may not understand the nuances of certain languages or places, therefore human input is needed.

The aim is to improve the quality of Google products like Google Translate in particular languages, or Google Maps in particular countries.

There are five categories to choose form once the app has been opened: image transcription, handwriting recognition, translation, translation validation and maps translation validation.

Each task takes no more than five to 10 seconds to complete. For example, in the image transcription and handwriting recognition sections, users have to write out the word or words they see in the picture - similar to how Captcha works - and then move on to the next string of letters.

Users will not be monetarily compensated for their efforts; instead the company hopes users will view it as a game to fill time when they find themselves "with a few moments to kill... waiting in line at the grocery store or on the train ride home".

The app is available to download from the Google Play store. In two days, it has already had as many as 5 000 downloads.

It was reported earlier this month that the company was looking to improve its voice-activated personal assistants by collecting voice-data from certain dialects.

Scottish and other UK accents were called for on Reddit and volunteers were paid for their efforts.

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