Google's Emoji Scavenger Hunt is browser based Machine Learning game for Everyone


"Machine learning" and "neural network" are familiar terms to anyone who follows what Google is up to these days, but they may not be the most accessible or comprehensible concepts for the masses. And that's fine — you don't need to have a firm grasp of machine learning to enjoy better photos or keyboards, for instance. Still, Google has been quietly showcasing ways for users to get more hands-on with these concepts, and the latest such experiment is a game called Emoji Scavenger Hunt.



Here's how it works: Once you open the game in your mobile browser and tap "Let's Play," you'll be prompted to grant access to your phone's camera (privacy-minded browsers like Brave or Firefox Focus won't cooperate). Once you allow camera access, you'll see a countdown and hear some cartoonish noises (turn up your volume if you don't), then you'll be shown an emoji that you have to find in the real world around you before the timer hits zero. With each emoji you spot IRL, more seconds will be added to the clock.

Emoji Scavenger Hunt is amusing and well worth a spin, but it's not meant to be a well-polished game for mainstream play. Google's objective here is to show "how machine learning can be used in fun ways," and the player here isn't just you — after all, Google's neural network is doing all the guesswork.
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