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Dropbox rolls out a new smart search function to its storage service. Automatic text recognition is carried out here. The function scans images in documents, as well as statements and field reports. The hope is that users will then be able to quickly find relevant information in the countless photos and PDF documents they have.

The function is called AutoOCR and uses machine intelligence. AutoOCR consists of optical character recognition, which allows texts to be recognized. In a blog post, Dropbox writes that it should be very easy to find documents.

Find everything

Are you looking for a contract that was scanned by a team member a few years ago? Just look at the client, according to the company. Are you trying to find blueprints that an architect put together for you? Just type in their name. Can’t you remember where you saved that screenshot of your flight? Just fill in the destination.

According to Dropbox, this is one of the most intensive projects the company has ever undertaken. Machine learning makes it possible to apply the search function to this scale. In a broader sense, AutoOCR is part of the Dropbox intelligence initiative (DBXi), a company’s project to introduce artificial intelligence in all its products and services.

By scaling up our in-house machine intelligence platform, DBXi multiplies the efforts of our Intelligent Products product team so that all our developers can customize and validate models for intelligent features, improved search capabilities and other business optimizations.

The update is already being rolled out today and will come to all users of the storage service in the coming weeks.

This news article was automatically translated from Dutch to give Techzine.eu a head start. All news articles after September 1, 2019 are written in native English and NOT translated. All our background stories are written in native English as well. For more information read our launch article.