Microsoft's new Trove app is designed to help you get paid for your pictures

AI projects live and breathe data, and Microsoft’s latest Garage project is designed to connect photographers who take pictures with data scientist who want to pay them for their collection.

Trove is an app for iOS and Android that provides people with an opportunity to contribute to AI projects by submitting photos that developers can then use to train machine learning models.

Developers and researchers rely on large batches of high quality and diverse photos to train their computer vision models, and they often crowdsource pictures by enlisting the help of gig workers to submit them. Unfortunately, photo contributors can have little to no insight into the greater context or purpose of the project and when photos don’t meet the project’s needs, their work can be rejected without explanation.

Trove solves this need by connecting contributors with AI developers through a new marketplace that puts communication, context, and feedback first.

Key features include

Contributors can submit existing photos or actively take new ones for a chance to win a sweepstakes.

• View AI projects that need photos
• Learn about the purpose of the project and the desired parameters for photo submissions
• Contribute relevant photos to projects you like
• Communicate directly with developers to ask questions or receive feedback
• Review project owners and contribute to a people first community
• Earn sweepstakes entries by contributing and referring other contributors

Developers can request photos by listing AI projects in the app.

• Get relevant photos for your AI projects
• Generate enthusiasm for your project by explaining the greater purpose of your model and offering a sweepstakes for participation
• Provide feedback directly to contributors to help them re-align their submitted photos to meet your project’s parameters
• Review and thank contributors

Microsoft says Trove is rooted in fair trade with no hidden fees and provides a license that will protect the ownership of your images. The result is responsibly sourced data that delivers more choice, control, and security for developers and contributors.  Read more about the core principles that guided the creation of this project in the Garage Blog here.

 Photographers can request an invite to try it out and Developers can request an invite to add a project.

via Alumia