Artificial Intelligence in Phone Cameras

Right now, and for the foreseeable future, the most evolving and useful technology is Artificial Intelligence (AI), and it is unlikely that you would find the latest smartphones without any sort of AI power. A list of mid-range and high-end smartphones are seen to have AI-powered cameras apart from other profound features. But, is artificial intelligence in camera a unique feature? Or is it just another marketing gimmick? With the introduction of AI in almost every other smartphone camera, it is crucial to know how beneficial it is.

But before that, what is AI?

Artificial Intelligence is a branch of computer science that deals with teaching computers to learn and perform actions as humans do. Unlike hard coded commands, AI algorithms are used to execute tasks by observing user behavior and evolving to understand and perform what users need.

Is AI useful in smartphones?

With smartphone biggies introducing AI-enabled chips in their devices, it becomes prominent to understand how useful it is. AI-powered smartphones are capable of executing a huge number of operations within a second and takes less power to work. Face recognition AI and augmented reality in smartphones is also made possible with the help of AI. With Google Assistant and Siri enabled smartphones, you can have your query answered any time anywhere. That’s the power of AI.

Still the question: why an AI Camera?

Artificial intelligence in camera makes use of computational photography to enhance captured images/videos. In computational photography, the optical processes are replaced by AI algorithms that help in providing studio effects without having to use heavy tools such as Photoshop and Lightroom. And the best part? All the processing happens within just a few milliseconds.

Image recognition machine learning algorithms predict the scene that is being captured and hence, the image is processed accordingly. The main feature of AI-powered cameras is that image processing and machine learning go hand-in-hand. Everything happens in real-time and the results are quickly produced.

What was once provided by DSLRs and dual-lens cameras is now easily executed by AI-powered cameras in smartphones. People love “bokeh effect” which blurs the background around the main subject. This is performed by Al-powered algorithms that segregate the subject in the foreground and background and produce photos that were once possible only in professional studios. The latest smartphones will let you do this with both front and back cameras.

Face unlock is a common feature not just restricted to premium smartphones. The algorithms analyses the face of the user and then not only keep this face data but learn even further to note any changes so that it can keep working even if the user’s face is slightly changed (beard-no beard scenario, etc.)

Conclusion

Artificial Intelligence is completely changing the way things work. From detecting objects in an image to providing Studio-like effects and remembering what processing needs to be done, AI is boosting smartphone cameras for the future. With such capabilities, AI in cameras can learn and work without needing to implement any hardware components.