Build a Teachable Machine Image Classifier With Your Kid

Issue 10 • May 10, 2023

As an Executive, you likely discuss artificial intelligence in terms of productivity and strategic advantage. For your children, however, AI is often an invisible force behind their favorite video games and search engines. To prepare them for a future where AI is ubiquitous, we must help them transition from passive consumers of technology to active creators. One of the most effective ways to demystify how computers learn is by building a custom image classifier together. Using Google's free Teachable Machine platform, you and your child can train a real machine learning model in under fifteen minutes. This hands-on project requires no coding experience, no paid subscriptions, and no specialized hardware, making it an ideal weekend activity for children aged eight to sixteen.

Step 1: Setting Up Your AI Lab

To get started, you only need a computer with a working webcam and a few everyday household items. Gather three distinct objects that are easy to hold. Excellent choices include a colorful coffee mug, a small toy car, and a pencil. The goal is to choose items with clear visual differences in shape and color. Sit down with your child at a table where the webcam can easily capture both of you and the objects. Explain to your child that they are about to act as the teacher, and the computer is going to be the student. Just like a human student, the computer needs examples to learn what these objects look like.

Step 2: Accessing the Teachable Machine Interface

Open your web browser and navigate directly to the Google Teachable Machine website at https://teachablemachine.withgoogle.com/ . This tool runs entirely in the browser, meaning no software installation is required, and all data processing happens locally. Click on the Get Started button and select Image Project from the options, followed by Standard Image Model. You will see an interface with two default classes, a training section, and a preview panel. Explain to your child that these classes are like folders where the computer will store the examples they provide.