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Yahoo Open Sources a Deep Learning Model For Classifying Pornographic Images (venturebeat.com)

Posted by msmash on from the affinity-for-open-source dept.

New submitter OWCareers writes: Yahoo today announced its latest open-source release: a model that can figure out if images are specifically pornographic in nature. The system uses a type of artificial intelligence called deep learning, which involves training artificial neural networks on lots of data (like dirty images) and getting them to make inferences about new data. The model that's now available on GitHub under a BSD 2-Clause license comes pre-trained, so users only have to fine-tune it if they so choose. The model works with the widely used Caffe open source deep learning framework. The team trained the model using its now open source CaffeOnSpark system.
The new model could be interesting to look at for developers maintaining applications like Instagram and Pinterest that are keen to minimize smut. Search engine operators like Google and Microsoft might also want to check out what's under the hood here.The tool gives images a score between 0 to 1 on how NSFW the pictures look. The official blog post from Yahoo outlines several examples.

12 of 119 comments (clear)

  1. Cool by plopez · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Now all you have to have is a good definition of what is pornographic. Personally I find gratuitous violence to be pornographic.

    --
    putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
    1. Re:Cool by cdrudge · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That's easy. You'll just know it when you see it

    2. Re:Cool by mentil · · Score: 2

      It seems to be trying to classify images based on how NSFW they are, which is different from how pornographic they are. For example, there are some artistic nudes which may not be commonly considered pornographic, but are still NSFW.

      --
      Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
    3. Re:Cool by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 4, Insightful

      As usual, Yahoo is missing the market. Rather than a binary porn/not-porn, there would be a MUCH bigger market for a porn classifier that could help people find what they like. If their DL-NN is based on RBMs they could even use it in generative mode to create porn to individual tastes.

  2. About time! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Glad to hear AI is finally being used for a benevolent purpose: To more easily locate pornographic images! So now we can just bypass the Google images search with safe search off when we're looking for stuff for the spankbank, right? And, practically overnight, Yahoo! becomes relevant yet again.

  3. Why? by clonehappy · · Score: 2

    What possible uses does this have other than censorship?

    1. Re:Why? by ArtemaOne · · Score: 5, Interesting

      My guess is that since they purchased Tumblr, they're facing the fact that it is one of the biggest nude image collections ever. For years I've joked with my wife about scrolling: funny image, social justice post, kitten, woman receiving anal, puppy dog, web comic, nude woman, kitten

  4. Pornography is in the eye of the beholder by DavidMZ · · Score: 2

    I am afraid that the origin of the world will be considered pornographic by any algorithm capable of identifying it. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if many people actually think it is pornographic.

  5. Great for organizing a collection by Snotnose · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If it can tell various types of porn apart then it can categorize, um, my friend's collection he keeps meaning to organize.

  6. Going for a perfect score by watermark · · Score: 3, Funny

    New challenge, find an image that gives a perfect 1 score

  7. DeepWetDream anyone? by PacoSuarez · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You can feed an image to this network and use backpropagation to compute the gradient of the NSFW score with respect to the pixel values in the input. A few steps of gradient ascent/descent and you'll get a spiced up/down version of the original image. I believe this is roughly what DeepDream does. The results could be hilarious. It is very possible that Yahoo has inadvertently created an open-source porn generator.

    Any takers?

  8. REALLY cool! by fyngyrz · · Score: 2

    Yes, this is excellent! With this available, now I won't have to suffer with non-pornographic image retrievals and suggestions any more from these stupid image search engines. Finally!

    Wait, it does what?

    --
    I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.