When in Nature, Google Lens Does What the Human Brain Can't

AI-powered visual search tools, like Google Lens and Bing Visual Search, promise a new way to search the world--but most people still type into a search box rather than point their camera at something. We've gotten used to manually searching for things over the past 25 years or so that search engines have been at our fingertips. Also, not all objects are directly in front of us at the time we're searching for information about them. One area where I've found visual search useful is outside, in the natural world. I go for hikes frequently, a form of retreat from the constant digital interactions that fool me into thinking I'm living my "best life" online.