May 4, 2017

Google ventures into DIY artificial intelligence

Raspberry Pi / YouTube

Google has been making its own artificial intelligence advancements, but now the Silicon Valley giant wants you to take control. They've teamed up with the UK's Raspberry Pi — a tech company with the eponymous credit-card sized computer — to introduce "Artificial Intelligence Yourself" projects, a spin on DIY for AI.

Why it matters: This is the first time Google has created and distributed something specifically for hobbyists and makers — DIY artificial intelligence engineers.

What they're doing: They're distributing kits, bundled for free with this month's issue of the Raspberry Pi magazine (The Mag Pi), that allow you to make your own version of Google Home or Amazon's Alexa.

How it works: Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer chip. Google sends a "Voice HAT" (hardware accessory on top) that brings natural language processing to the Pi via the HAT board and speaker. The kit will also include the necessary speakers, cables, and microphone to create your own voice-command device.

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