Computer judges PET photo competition – here’s the cats and dogs it thinks are cutest

Vet-Al, a veterinary research and development center, recently launched an AI photo competition in order to pick a pet for their app. The Artificial Intelligence program scanned a ton of cats and dogs and picked a batch of finalists for the new “mascot” for the app called Joii.

Vet-Al’s chief data scientist Trevor Hardcastle says that this is the first AI competition of its kind. The technology behind it is based on image recognition models build for the app itself. Previously, it was used to detect skin disorders. The AI can learn as it goes and scanned thousands of cute dog and cat pics to pick the cutest one. Mr. Hardcastle says that the whole team was fascinated with the way the AI performed.

A total of 3,600 pictures were scanned by the AI, with 10 entering the final. Now, an expert panel of animal experts will pick the winner that will feature as Joii’s mascot.