Build a Teachable Machine Image Classifier With Your Kid

PromptHacker Issue 15 • July 19, 2023

Children today are surrounded by artificial intelligence, from the algorithms recommending videos on YouTube to the facial recognition unlocking their tablets. However, most kids experience AI as passive consumers rather than active creators. To prepare the next generation for an AI-driven world, we must demystify how these systems work. You do not need a computer science degree or expensive software to teach your child the fundamentals of machine learning. Using a free, web-based tool developed by Google, you and your child (ages 8 to 16) can build, train, and test a custom computer vision model in under twenty minutes. This hands-on project turns abstract technology into a tangible, creative experience, showing them that AI is simply a tool that learns from the data we provide.

The project featured here is a "Focus vs. Distraction" AI Detector . Your child will train a machine learning model to recognize when they are holding a book or notebook (representing "Focus Mode") versus when they are holding a smartphone or video game controller (representing "Distraction Mode"). This project requires nothing more than a computer with a webcam and an internet connection.

To begin, open a web browser and navigate directly to the Google Teachable Machine website at https://teachablemachine.withgoogle.com/ .

Step 1: Create a New Image Project

Once you are on the homepage, click on the "Get Started" button. You will be presented with three options: Image Project, Audio Project, and Pose Project. Select Image Project , and then choose Standard Image Model . This opens the training workspace, which is divided into three clear columns: Classes (where you define the categories), Training (where the computer learns), and Preview (where you test the model).

Step 2: Define and Name Your Classes

In machine learning, a "class" is a category or label that the computer uses to group similar images. By default, Teachable Machine provides two classes named "Class 1" and "Class 2." Have your child rename these classes to make the project intuitive: