Thanks to some incredible and rapid advances in machine learning, the tech industry is now closer than ever to developing true artificial intelligence. In the not-too-distant future, AI will likely be operating commercial vehicles, help people make financial decisions, and maybe even assist surgeons. Being one of the largest tech giants on the planet, Google is naturally one of the driving forces in this emerging field. However, in addition to developing useful AI-powered tools, the Mountain View-based Internet company also doesn’t shy away from trying to implement this technology in fun and entertaining ways.
Cue Experiments, a Google-funded initiative with a relatively self-explanatory name. To this date, the Experiments program delivered some truly unique experiences based on AI, Android, and Chrome OS. Just a few weeks ago, Google released its latest Experiments app Sprayscape designed to serve as an augmented reality spraying simulator. Today, the company unveiled three more Experiments focusing on artificial intelligence and music.
The first AI Experiment is the Infinite Drum Machine which is basically a highly advanced, AI-powered algorithm designed to categorize and play a vast library of percussive sounds. The so-called t-SNE method utilized by the Infinite Drum Machine can also be applied to similar organizational solutions like a smart image catalog, for example.
The second project unveiled by Google earlier today is called Giorgio Cam, and here is where the real fun starts. Giorgio Cam is an app which uses image recognition software to identify the subject of any picture, after which it utilizes a text-to-speech synthesis system Mary TTS to rap about the object it managed to recognize. It’s not exactly the most useful AI tool ever created, but it sure looks incredibly entertaining to use, as evidenced by the video below. And yes, the name of the app suggests that it features a soundtrack produced by the one and only Giorgio Moroder.
Last but not least, the AI Experiments also yielded something called AI Duet, a program which listens to tunes played by users and puts its own spin on them. This piece of software can improvise melodies thanks to neural networks which allow it to understand things like rhythm, pitch, and harmony. AI Duet is also pretty close to being released on the World Wide Web as Google revealed it’s currently wrapping up work on a browser version of this curious program.