According to the reports we have gotten from our sources, Microsoft has released a new “visual search” feature for Bing. This new function gives users the ability to snap a picture of something with their phones to search for it online. The feature could be likened to Google Lens as they have the same functions and also various offerings made available by third parties that make use of artificial intelligence (AI) to be able to get fast and accurate object recognition on photos.
The new visual search feature is available in a sequence of apps and that includes the standalone Bing app on Android and iOS, Microsoft Edge on Android, Microsoft launcher on Android, and it will soon be arriving to Edge on iOS. This feature can be used to search for a variety of dog breeds, famous landmarks, as well as clothing items. In the case of consumer goods, the app will attempt to identify what is presented to it and then search for places where they can be found for purchase online.
In a blog post, Vince Leung, the lead for Bing Images at Microsoft stated that, “Sometimes, it is almost impossible to describe what you want to search for using words.”
It appears that visual search is becoming a way for huge tech companies such as Microsoft and Google to promote themselves and ease up the search for commodity items, but then again, the feature has the potential to let people down when being used in real life. Although, the good news is that with time there is bound to be an improvement as various firms and business ventures collect more data and increase the speed of their machine learning algorithms. Much more sooner than later, the various things around us will soon be able to find their way on the internet and be searched for by individuals who are interested in them per time.