Recommendation SystemVerified
Reviewed and published by trentmaziarz, May 11, 2026. Discovered and drafted by our automated research pipeline.
Alamy offers Smart Search, an opt-in AI-powered search tool for signed-in users that goes beyond traditional keyword matching to find relevant images based on the meaning of a query. Built with Amazon Web Services, it was launched in late 2025 and allows users to describe what they need in natural language or concept-driven terms.
Details
Smart Search integrates vector-embedding technology with Alamy's library of over 430 million visual assets, enabling the system to interpret complex, multi-layered queries and surface imagery that keyword-only search would miss. Users can toggle the feature on or off; when enabled, the system also supports search-by-image, allowing users to upload a reference photo to find visually similar content. The tool is described by Alamy as augmenting rather than replacing keyword search.
Products affected
Alamy Smart SearchAlamy website
Sources & Evidence
Community Report
Company Disclosure
Cite this record
Trace Foundation. (2026). Alamy: Alamy offers Smart Search, an opt-in AI-powered search tool for signed-in users that goes beyond traditional keyword matching to find relevant images based on the meaning of a query. Built with Amazon Web Services, it was launched in late 2025 and allows users to describe what they need in natural language or concept-driven terms (data as of 2026-05-11) [Data set record]. AI Trace. https://www.aitrace.org/r/practice/b7e2e940-5b72-4321-ab19-e0e4ace1374f. Accessed October 3, 2026.
- Stable link
- https://www.aitrace.org/r/practice/b7e2e940-5b72-4321-ab19-e0e4ace1374f
- Data as of
- May 11, 2026
- Last verified
- Not recorded
Other practices by Alamy
OtherAlamy integrated its licensed image library into BRIA AI's 'Fair Diffusion Program,' a generative AI initiative where Alamy's images were used to train an AI image-generation model that attributes and compensates the original photographers when their work contributes to a generated image. Alamy announced this partnership in September 2023.OtherAlamy offers its image library — branded as the 'Alamy Access Collection' — to third-party AI developers and researchers for licensing as training data for machine learning models. Alamy states it shares revenue from these data training deals with the contributing photographers whose images are used.ModerationAlamy uses a Quality Control (QC) team process to detect and reject AI-generated imagery submitted by contributors, classifying such images as 'Unsuitable Material' and removing them from the platform. The company has publicly stated it does not accept any imagery wholly or partially created by AI generation tools.
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