Pond5 deployed an AI-powered visual search system that lets buyers find stock footage and images by uploading a reference image or using their phone camera, rather than typing keywords. The system, launched in 2018, uses a proprietary neural network to match visual patterns—such as shape, color, and composition—to results in the Pond5 library.

Called Pond5 Visual Search, the system uses a neural network to analyze image inputs and return visually similar licensable media. Users can access it via the Pond5 website, browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, or via mobile by pointing their device camera at a subject. The extensions allow users to select any image found on the web and use it to search Pond5's library. This was an expansion of an earlier AI search capability called Visual Discovery, first launched in February 2016, which predicted relevant content based on keyword analysis.