Many of us are guilty of spending a little too much time scrolling through recipes on digital scrapbooking app Pinterest, but the launch of a new in-app feature means this experience is about to become a whole lot more personal (and possibly even more addictive).
Pinterest can now identify food you show it using your mobile phone. Simply snap a photo of the ingredient or the dish you’re looking at, and Pinterest will both name the ingredient and suggest recipes using it or similar ingredients for you to try at home. This “dish recognition” feature is an expansion of Pinterest’s Lens capability, a search tool launched in February this year through which a computer identifies objects through photographs. A legitimate reason to take photos of every meal now exists (even for non-bloggers!), as does a near endless well of recipe suggestions for when you’re feeling a little uninspired.
The new feature might ring some bells for fans of HBO tech comedy series Silicon Valley. In a life-imitates-art situation, the “dish recognition” premise bears striking resemblance to SeeFood, an app touted as “Shazam for food” in the show. According to Pinterest spokespeople, however, any similarity is entirely coincidental.
Coincidences aside, the real question is whether the Lens works properly or not. In a highly unscientific home experiment, Pinterest had no problem recognizing and suggesting recipes for eggs and tomatoes, but it had to ask what dates and carpunti were. It also misidentified soba noodles as make up brushes.
We can assure you that these are soba noodles: get the recipe for miso fish with noodles here.
When it slips up, Lens delivers a message to users saying it’s still learning, and prompts users to “teach” it by telling it what it’s looking at. Eventually (and with enough help from users to build up its in-built encyclopedia of food), it’ll be smart enough to get out of its beta phase.
The development is indicative of how artificial intelligence is intersecting with our day-to-day lives more frequently and more practically. If Pinterest is identifying food in 2017, what might 2027 hold for our mid-week dinner inspo?
Have you discovered SBS Food on Pinterest? You can find us here
Lead image by Igor Miske via stocksnap
SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only. Read more about SBS Food
Have a story or comment? Contact Us
