# Computer vision

Record: term-computer-vision · Type: term · Edition: 0.20.0 · Evidence cutoff: 2026-09-15

[Read in the atlas](https://theaiatlas.org/ideas/computer-vision/) · [Complete evidence](https://theaiatlas.org/evidence.html#idea-computer-vision) · [JSON](https://theaiatlas.org/records/term-computer-vision.json) · [Pinned complete dataset](https://theaiatlas.org/editions/e74392d479c0e7da8636a7d6a0454d03510df86ffca9931eb86babd952665ca5/data.json)

Dataset pointer: `/glossary/118`. Reviewed: 2026-09-15.

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## Publication dates and source age

Publication dates are unavailable.

Newest dated source: unavailable. Assessed at this edition’s evidence cutoff: 2026-09-15. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-15.

Publication age does not establish validity or a new source-reading date. Unknown dates and month/year precision remain explicit in the JSON record.

## /summary

Software that extracts information from images, such as objects or written text. Different tasks need different checks.

Claim: claim-term-computer-vision-1a5192ba3d7825ca26b24a72. Annotation: synthesis.

[glossary-wide-vision](https://docs.cloud.google.com/vision/docs)

## /definition

Computer vision covers tasks such as labeling an image, locating objects and reading text in a picture. For example, a system could mark the position of a bicycle in a photo.

Claim: claim-term-computer-vision-1e4c26398ee834b2e16dc7b8. Annotation: synthesis.

[glossary-wide-vision](https://docs.cloud.google.com/vision/docs)

## /placement

Map context: this names a set of technical tasks. We do not assign it a preferred pace of AI development.

Claim: claim-term-computer-vision-25f52a21ad9f2e54a62ed1b2. Annotation: editorial.

[glossary-wide-vision](https://docs.cloud.google.com/vision/docs)

## /distinction

Image classification assigns a category; object detection also locates objects. Neither task is the same as producing a new image.

Claim: claim-term-computer-vision-09422ce4d5c74cb753a9bb98. Annotation: synthesis.

[glossary-wide-vision](https://docs.cloud.google.com/vision/docs)

## Source provenance

### glossary-wide-vision

[Cloud Vision API documentation](https://docs.cloud.google.com/vision/docs)

Google Cloud · First-hand source (primary) · Published: undated · Material last read: 2026-09-15 · Verification: read

Read scope is described in the source note.

Read the overview of image labeling, text extraction and object detection. Used to explain task types, not to claim that one product covers all computer vision or is equally accurate on every image.

No archive check recorded.