What is Zero-Shot Classification?

Zero-shot classification models, such as OpenAI's CLIP, allow for image classification without the need for task-specific training, leveraging pre-trained models capable of understanding text-to-image relationships. The article explores the functionality and applications of zero-shot models, highlighting how CLIP can assign labels to images based on pre-defined prompts, such as identifying a Toyota car or distinguishing a billboard from other objects. This capability allows for rapid integration of computer vision into applications by eliminating the time and cost associated with model training. Zero-shot models are used across various tasks, including analyzing video frames and labeling data for training more precise models. While CLIP is a prominent example, other models like MetaCLIP and AltCLIP offer enhancements, such as multilingual support and open training data distributions. The guide also provides a practical example of using CLIP with the Roboflow Inference tool to classify images, demonstrating the model's effectiveness in real-world scenarios.