Google released a tool that lets users create their own machine learning algorithms without having to code. AutoML Vision allows developers without machine learning expertise to create their own image recognition models.
Google is using it as a way to entice more users on its cloud computing services.
Custom Image Recognition Models
Google is making artificial intelligence more accessible for companies to use. Cloud AutoML Vision can train an image recognition system by using a drag-and-drop interface. Once the photos are uploaded and tagged, the training process can begin.
Google wants to expand the use of machine learning models.
"We believe Cloud AutoML will make AI experts even more productive, advance new fields in AI and help less-skilled engineers build powerful AI systems they previously only dreamed of," said Fei-Fei Li, chief scientist at Google Cloud Ai.
AutoML only works for computer vision models at the moment, but Google wants to branch out into other machine learning areas including speech, translation, and video.
Google Cloud's competitors Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services also offer their own pre-trained AI tools, along with tools for building and customizing models. There are also others such as Clarif.ai that have similar services for machine learning.
To use the service, developers have to apply for access. Google says that pricing will depend on API usage and compute. Rajen Sheth, director of product management Cloud Ai, says Google will work with each customer to come up with pricing.
Disney and Urban Outfitters are already using Cloud AutoML to improve the search and shopping on their websites.
Google Ramping Up Cloud Services
This year will be big for Google Cloud service. Google sits behind Microsoft and Amazon in the cloud computing market and is already making a splash in the beginning of 2018 to make up some ground on the two leading providers.
Amazon Web Services announced Amazon SageMaker at the end of 2017 for users to build and launch their own AI models. In May, Microsoft also introduced a service for customizing image recognition models.
Google announced earlier this week that it will be funding the creation of three new undersea cables to connect the company's five new regional centers in Montreal, the Netherlands, Los, Angeles, Finland, and Hong Kong.
Google currently holds a 12 percent in cloud market share. Amazon dominates the market with 62 percent market share, and Microsoft holds 20 percent. Even with both Google and Microsoft making strides recently, Amazon dwarfs both companies.
