Google Images brings more information to knowledge graph

You don’t always just search for text or links on Google. There are also times when what you’re looking for are images. Google Image search is pretty hand when you’re just looking for pictures but now you’ll be able to get more information and context about the picture you’re looking at. Google is rolling out an update to the Knowledge Graph that you see in your image search results, although for now it seems to be limited to mobile in the U.S. only.

Google says that starting this week, when you search for a person, place or thing on your mobile app or on your web browser, you’ll be able to see “quick facts” or more contextual information on the Knowledge Graph underneath the image. This will be coming from Google’s database of “billions of facts” in case you want to know more about the image or to see if it’s actually relevant to what you’re looking for.

Google gives an example for when you’re looking for beautiful state parks that you can visit near you. Under the photo that you’re looking at, you’ll see related topics like the actual name of the river or where it is located. When you tap on the topic, it will expand and give you a short description it is referencing and a link if you want to learn more. There is also other related topics if you want to go into a blackhole.

Aside from its extensive knowledge library, Google uses deep learning to evaluate the visual and text signals of an image. They combine that with what Google understands about the image through the text on its web page. This system helps them figure out what people, places, or things are relevant to that specific image and then match it with the existing topics in the Knowledge Graph.

Initially, the feature will appear in the U.S. only and for the mobile app and mobile web for people, places, and things. It will eventually expand to more images, languages, and surfaces.