Understanding the new Meta AI Development Platform Segment Anything

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A3Logics 26 Apr 2023

Table of Contents

 

The artificial intelligence (AI) industry is worth $200 billion USDand is one of the biggest in the world today. Whether it’s robotics and automation or chatbots and search engines, this technology is central to the fourth industrial revolution. Despite years of discourse in the technology community and media, the scale of change is rapid and hard to believe.

 

As can be seen both in development and commercial news, the pace and scope of AI is now comprehensively manifesting. What’s more, we’re now also seeing the building blocks of change in products and platforms that build the speculative AI.

 

Chiefly, the newest AI development product making news is the Meta AI Segment Anything Model (SAM). Equally important is what this AI offers in the market for consumers and for AI progress.

 

In this A3logics article we’ll cover key explainer points to help unpack and provide an understanding of the value of:
• How this AI works
• Why it’s important in the AI market and wider technology market
• What’s next for AI from here

 

A brief explainer on Meta AI development and history of the Segment Anything Model (SAM)

 

Firstly, let’s discuss the headline characteristics of the Meta AI model, Segment Anything Model (SAM). Above all, it’s relevant to explain how Meta is operating as a company. Comparatively it’s also worthwhile to provide a brief 101 on how this relates to their original Facebook iteration.

As a matter of fact, most people still think of the company Meta as its former name Facebook. Undoubtedly this is because of Meta starting life as a social media platform. Since October 2021, Facebook Inc. has been known by its new name Meta Platforms Inc. Due to this change, the Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research (FAIR) laboratory became Meta AI.

Generally since then most people refer to all Facebook parent platforms as Meta. Be that as it may, their new AI model Segment Anything is “Research by Meta AI” as per official announcements. Accordingly, Meta AI research from Kirillov et al says this is, “a new task, model, and dataset for image segmentation”. Notwithstanding this Meta AI team research paper, the simplest way to understand Meta AI’s SAM is in terms of imagery.

 

Overall the SAM AI development enables:

 

• Picking out individual objects and components in images and videos in the Segmentation Process
• Provision of a dataset of image annotations to utilize in object recognition and computer vision technologies
• Doing this with text or click prompts
• Building upon existing Meta tools in use on Facebook for content checks, image tagging, and content flagging

Conclusively, Meta AI outline the Segmentation features in their announcement media. In essence, they say, “Segmentation — identifying which image pixels belong to an object — is a core task in computer vision and is used in a broad array of applications, from analyzing scientific imagery to editing photos.”

 

What exactly is this Meta Segment Anything Model AI development platform

 

So, let us now cover the technical specifics of Meta AI’s SAM. In detail, Esther Ajao reports for TechTarget that this model “targets problem in computer vision market” that relate to accessibility. Further to this Ajao writes, “The research lab’s new model helps enterprises in the computer vision market access a well-labeled set of images without having a person manually tag different images.”

The concept of SAM is consistent with progressive AI developments. Furthermore early SAM uses suggest that this AI will be useful in Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and with other AI. In summary, Rashi Shrivastava reports for Forbes that SAM may be Meta AI’s “one-stop shop” for embedding AI solutions. Thereafter, Shrivastava expands on this that SAM may meet a broad range of work, life, and research needs. Explicitly this SAM future use might cover, “Editing photos, analyzing surveillance footage and understanding the parts of a cell.” At this point, SAM is of use for everyone — and especially those who don’t have AI infrastructure.

 

Specifically Meta AI say the SAM development is the following two user options making up the Segment Anything (SA) project:

 

Segment Anything Model (SAM) — Promptable model that segments and identifies objects
Segment Anything 1-Billion mask dataset (SA-1B) — Providing an entire dataset of image annotations

 

As a result the whole SAM AI is currently a robust tool for use. Because the dataset is extensive, at 400x larger than the next biggest mask dataset, SAM is a highly trained AI. Overall, in this moment the SAM is impressive and promising as an AI development release.

 

What are the standout features of this Segment Anything AI development platform

 

Both of these options of SAM and SA-1B offer users a tool for multiple applications. As an illustration, in the next section we will explore the standout features of SAM. In detail, Meta AI emphasize their vision to reduce key pressures on people completing tasks and using AI. In fact, the SAM tool helps relieve pressure around task-specific modeling expertise, training compute, and custom data annotation.

 

Subsequently, let us itemize the key features of the AI development SAM tool that are core to Meta AI’s strategy:

 

  • Powerful segmentation — Accurately and quickly identifying pixels in images that belong to an object. Most important to this is that the AI model training involved highly specialized work with large volumes of input.
  • Browser-based — Usable on the web or in mobile browsers
  • Diverse, large-scale segmentation dataset — 1.1 billion segmentation masks with 11 million images licensed from an undisclosed photo company
  • Open-source — Openly available to support AI research, development, and use with a non-commercial license
  • Promptable model — Transfer zero-shot to new image distributions and utilizations
  • Zero-shot performance — Can compete with and sometimes even outperform fully supervised results
  • Detects wide range of images — Including unknown objects and across broad domains (underwater, microscopic, aerial, and agricultural)
  • Generative — Responsive to user inputs and able to work to reconstruct images
  • Efficient — Works swiftly with automatic and user-led options
  • Adaptable — Will bend and adjust according to tasks
  • Integratable — Open-source design allows for use in development and in other systems
  • Comparable AI functionalities — Model responds to prompts in line with how natural language processing (NLP) AI works

 

What industries will use and benefit from the Segment Anything AI development

 

Rather than just build specialty platforms for individual uses, Meta AI instead describes SAM and SA-1B as foundation models. Significantly, they say that the SA-1B dataset is for research and SAM is under an Apache 2.0 open license. Straightaway, this is best understood as a decision to encourage users to augment and build on top of SAM. Presently this is, “To enable a broad set of applications and foster further research into foundation models for computer vision”.

 

In order to thoroughly understand development model use, let’s discuss two industries that are already experiencing discussion.

 

In fact Meta AI actually states these as two key industries it foresees SAM being of use:

 

  • Agriculture — To help farmers in their livestock management and planning
  • Biology — To assist researchers in interacting with data and materials

 

Specifically, Meta AI says that there are broad applications for use. To explain, they hypothesize this as everything, “From analyzing scientific imagery to editing photos”.

 

Additionally this Meta AI development shows an intersection between using the technology for AI and AR/VR. Not only does SAM segment images to allow for isolating specific areas, but also it is usable with other AI. For example, this overcomes AI barriers in recognition as software integrating SAM can recognize or interpret unfamiliar or unknown objects. Afterward this could lead to comprehending data more accurately or in line with human intelligence. Equally, SAM’s use of interactive segmentation shows that the AI is capable of learning and even automating over time. Consequently, it could achieve the outcome of continually refining and improving results thus fulfilling the vision of generative AI. All in all, these are certainly early days for the technology and general market use is now undergoing testing.

 

Who will use this Segment Anything AI development

 

Even though Segment Anything is useful in high-level technology settings, its use is likely to be widespread. For that reason, the expectation is that everyone from professionals to ordinary people will use it. As a matter of fact, Meta AI say that the model’s development is about making segmentation technology accessible. Furthermore, their official Segment Anything Model AI development announcement says,
“We aim to democratize segmentation”.

 

Therefore we can identify that SAM use will likely include the following user groups:

  • Software and mobile app developers and engineers
  • Researchers across a range of industries
  • General public users and casual software developers
  • Governments, commercial organizations, and corporations

 

Overall, Meta AI’s goal in sharing the research and dataset behind the SAM is progress. To that end, this includes uses in:

 

  • Larger AI systems
  • AR/VR domains
  • Web development and content analysis
  • Scientific study on earth and in space
  • Creative applications for generative output, editing, and composition

 

In summary, the SAM use is likely to keep evolving. Both the extensive scale of the dataset and the interface flexibility indicate that the SAM automatic features offer great promise. Moreover consider Meta AI’s statement, “It is a single model that can easily perform both interactive segmentation and automatic segmentation.” Whereas existing image segmentation AI is more time-consuming and not as comprehensive, SAM advances this AI area.

 

Will Segment Anything be an AI development hardware product, a software platform, or a mobile application

 

Undoubtedly, the Segment Anything Model is an AI development that is usable in a variety of formats. While it is currently early days, initial speculation suggests that the SAM generative AI is widely usable.

 

AI Development uses of the Segment Anything Model:

 

  • Hardware products — Such as in AR/VR headsets
  • Software platforms — Integrable into websites
  • Mobile applications — Applicable to a range of apps for user-experience benefits

 

Regardless of where the SAM is in use, the following AI development technical characteristics are highly impactful:

 

  • Integration technology
  • Prompt engineering
  • Generative use

 

In reality, Kirillov and Ravi say that their object detection tool can be used for “gaze-based” detection of objects. Markedly, these input prompts show the SAM utility in cases such as wearable AR/VR technology through to medical imaging. For the most part these technical characteristics show us that the SAM is going to increase precision and accessibility.

 

Concurrently, exact usage is still entirely in a flux state. Because AI development is changing rapidly and continually, the precise and longer-term SAM uses are unpredictable. But we can be fairly certain that Meta AI’s SAM is a crucial advancing of AI development technology.

 

Are there any use cases for this Segment Anything AI development right now

 

Undeniably, the Segment Anything Model is making a market splash. Due to its sophistication, scale, speed, and accuracy, the SAM is a groundbreaking generative AI. On the other hand, Shrivastava outlines that both “object recognition and computer vision technologies have been around for years”. Additionally, usage is common in security and military products such as surveillance cameras and drones. Up to the present time, the technology is effective enough to use.

 

With this in mind, the landmark use case for Meta AI’s SAM is how it combines these two development areas:

  • AI foundational model’s advancement
  • Expanding computer vision technologies

Straightaway organizations are discussing using the SAM in experimental and practical ways.

 

For example, current reports show speculation for immediate if not forthcoming use in:

  • Advertising — To generate visual and text advertisements for clients
  • Automotive — As part of the building analysis process to assess any parts issues or defects
  • Data analysis — Organizing and annotating labelling and sorting

 

Thereafter we can say that early use helps streamline and improve operational tasks. In the meantime, Meta AI making the technology available shows us how computer vision is advancing and improving. Analogous to other emerging AI — as we will cover below — all development is part of innovating machine learning and automation.

 

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Is this Segment Anything AI development already being used in Meta products

 

Overall it’s unclear if Meta is using the Segment Anything Model in their products. Nonetheless comparison are understandably possible between existing photo technology and leading Meta social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. Concurrently Meta is already using internal computer vision products to flag inappropriate content and automate photo tagging.

 

Even if Meta is already using the SAM as a tool, it’s likely that it’s part of training the AI. Comparatively, as far as we know, widespread use is still under controls. Later it may be in use however at present it’s difficult to conclusively say. At the same time, Meta AI emphasizes their hope that the SAM leads to “more general image and video understanding”. Evidently this overlaps with their existing image and video products so integrating the SAM into UX or backend is possible.

What does this Meta Segment Anything AI development mean for their existing products

 

Whether the Segment Anything Model will affect the other Meta products is a leading question. After all in the last 18 months, Mark Zuckerberg continually asserts the move towards the Metaverse. Another facet to this is Reuters’ Katie Paul reporting Meta’s intention to integrate AI development technology into their products. Paul references, “Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has said that incorporating such generative AI “creative aids” into Meta’s apps is a priority this year.” Additionally specific reports say that this generative AI is for advertisements on Facebook and Instagram. Undoubtedly this supports the speculation that Meta might use SAM for this.

In the long run, it’s highly likely that Meta will use their AI development technology to enhance and level up. What’s more, Zuckerberg says that Meta is currently putting together a new product team to work on generative AI tools. Since this announcement in February 2023, it’s possible this ties in with the SAM.

 

Official Meta generative AI development plans include the following for WhatsApp and Instagram

  • Artificial personas
  • Instagram filters
  • Chat-based features

 

In any case it’s clear that Meta sees its long-term prospects in AI development. All things considered, this is a logical development strategy as they work to make their Metaverse a reality. Altogether this fits together due to how Meta AI links the SAM to its AR/VR hardware products. “SAM can take input prompts from other systems, such as in the future taking a user’s gaze from an AR/VR headset to select an object.” Following this, Meta AI shows SAM generative AI footage using their “open sourced Aria pilot dataset”. In other words, it’s safe to bet that the model’s AI will integrate into existing and new products.

 

How does Meta AI Segment Anything compare to other leading AI development products currently available

 

In view of Meta’s AI development push, let’s look at how the Segment Anything Model compares to other major platforms. Now that we’re in the ‘gold rush’ AI era, companies are announcing products and tools seemingly every single day. Obviously each AI development is different however it’s worth understanding how each works and how it compares to SAM.

 

Comparing the Segment Anything Model to leading AI development

 

  • OpenAI ChatGPT
  • Google Bard
  • Microsoft Bing Sydney

 

 OpenAI ChatGPT

 

  • What type of AI is it — ChatGPT is a conversational chatbot AI from the start-up OpenAI using large language models, supervised learning, and reinforcement learning. ChatGPT is generative AI built on OpenAI’s GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 AI families.
  • How does it work — For the purpose of a naturalistic interaction, ChatGPT is a model that uses user input to generate an output. Specifically ChatGPT can produce answers, essays, philosophy, prose and poetry, code corrections, business strategy, and much more.
  • How does it compare to the SAM — ChatGPT is a text-based AI whereas the SAM is image-based. Nonetheless both products offer generative AI features. Similarly to the SAM, ChatGPT is free and OpenAI seeks user feedback to better train the AI model. Both ChatGPT and the SAM use NLP to deliver a UX that aspires to be comparable to human intelligence.

 

Google Bard

  • What type of AI is it — Bard is a conversational chatbot AI from Google. This generative AI is built on Google’s Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA) large language model.
  • How does it work — Bard offers a realistic, interactive UX that uses human input to generate output. Presently Bard offers search tool functions, automation and humanoid interactions. Its responsive to prompts makes it capable of holding a “conversation” and users can search Google from Bard.
  • How does it compare to the SAM — Bard is also a text-based AI though some features are arguably part of the Google product suite. For example, that includes the image-based AI functionalities of Google Lens that are somewhat comparable to the SAM. Overall both Bard and the SAM are humanoid in their intelligence.

 

Microsoft Bing ‘Sydney’

 

  • What type of AI is it — Built on ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Bing chatbot has the codename ‘Sydney’. It is a generative AI with many similarities to ChatGPT though it is part of the Bing search engine. Despite the release as a Bing chatbot, the conversational AI told a user its name is Sydney.
  • How does it work — Much like ChatGPT, Bing Sydney is built upon the GPT-4 model. Due to Microsoft investment in OpenAI, the technology giant chose to integrate the GPT-4 model into their chatbot and Bing search engine. Undeniably the AI is consistent with ChatGPT in features and AI development technology.
  • How does it compare to the SAM — Bing offers the same realistically humanoid conversational and generative characteristics of ChatGPT and Bard. Likewise it can offer generative outputs comparable to the SAM. Even so, these are the comparable limits between the two AI development models at the present time.

 

Where is this phase of AI development at and what can we expect for 2023 and 2024?

 

Together with our previous discussion points, we can now look at what’s next for AI development. Since this market is moving quickly, we can expect that there will be developments in response to this Meta AI. Because of the importance of visual data in our current digital world it’s logical that vision technologies keep progressing.

 

Of course, two major technology companies to watch are Apple and Amazon. Neither the Apple Siri product nor the Amazon Alexa product have AI updates in line with those of other companies. Whether this will happen in the near future remains to be seen. Even so, many are expecting the release of Apple’s mixed reality device at some point in the coming year. By comparison, Amazon does already use some AI in their shopping user interface that might begin integrating Meta’s SAM.

 

Lastly, Google’s own vision technologies are advancing as they develop their AI-rich image recognition. For example, Lifewire writer Sascha Brodsky describes the Google Single Shot Multibox Detector as object detection similar to the SAM. Regardless, Brodsky reinforces, “But observers said that SAM is unique as an open-source model.” From here we can see that deep neural networks for visual detection and utility are likely to keep diversifying. After all, both Google and Meta are platforms that use images and video in a range of ways.

 

Conclusion

 

In conclusion, this development in computer vision is a history-making moment in AI development. Unquestionably Meta AI’s SAM tool arguably takes us closer to a realizable Metaverse. On the positive side, seeing that Meta’s vision is to democratize segmentation, it’s optimistic to experience a robust, agile model. On the negative side, we need to acknowledge that the SAM is an AI with only two-dimensional image training. Unfortunately Shrivastava says this creates limitations for both professional and entertainment use. Furthermore, “This means it wouldn’t accurately identify non-standardized objects through an AR/VR headset or it wouldn’t detect partially covered objects in public spaces if used by an autonomous vehicle manufacturer.”

 

Finally, present analysis shows that the leading AI development model is still the paid OpenAI product ChatGPT Plus. Whether Meta AI progresses to a paid, professional-grade version of the Segment Anything Model is still awaiting confirmation.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

What kind of AI development is the Segment Anything Model?

 

The Meta AI Segment Anything Model (SAM) is a computer vision AI that is generative and humanoid. Comparable to many other leading AI releases, this technology is:

  • Accurate
  • Fast
  • Promptable
  • Integrable using Python
  • Open-source

Furthermore the SAM AI development is able to segment images, identify elements with text or click prompts, and generate imagery.

 

How can businesses use the Segment Anything Model AI development?

 

There are many different uses for the SAM AI technology. Specifically, Meta AI nominates that industries that may particularly benefit are agriculture and biology. At the same time there is significant scope for businesses to use the SAM in AR/VR. Additionally, the SAM is usable in image and video editing or other creative industries such as advertising.

 

As the SAM is open source and for hardware, software, and mobile applications, there are no limits to use.

 

Is this Meta AI development Segment Anything technology costly to use?

 

There are no additional costs to using the Segment Anything Model as it is open source. In short, Meta offers the technology, including the dataset, for use in any development. Overall this is integrable in coding in the Python development language.

 

How much does it cost to build a software product using the Segment Anything Model of AI development?

 

There are no specific costs to using the Segment Anything Model. Presently using cutting-edge AI is already part of developing and deploying powerful software products. Most important is the strategy and quality of the development plan from conceptualization and testing to launch and maintenance. Contact expert development A3logics team to learn more and start your software product development.