SearchResearch Challenge (2/19/25): Asking questions of images with AI?

SearchResearch Commentary (2/13/25): ... Answer: Asking questions of images wi...

SearchResearch Challenge (2/19/25): Asking questions of images with AI?

At the SearchResearch Rancho...

... we're always asking questions. Pictures that are taken while traveling are a rich source of questions--mostly, what IS that thing?

But the questing minds of SRS Regulars always wants more. So today, a question about asking questions, and in particular, about the limits of using AI systems to tell you what you're looking at. Most of the current AIs are multimodal, meaning they can handle images in addition to text. Let's check this out!

Below I've attached 4 full-resolution images that you can download to your heart's delight (with links so you can get the originals, if you really want them). Here, taken on a recent trip, are 1. my hand; 2. a bottle of wine; 3. a piece of pastry; and 4. a beautiful flower. So... what ARE these things?

Our Challenge for this week is this:

1. How good, really, are the different AI systems at telling you what each of these images are?

2. What kinds of questions can the AI systems answer reliably? What kinds of questions CAN you ask? (And how do you know that the answers you find are correct?)

We're really interested in what answers you find, but just as importantly, what answers you do NOT find! Are there limits on what you can ask? What are those limits?

Let us know in the comments section.

Keep searching!