Alamy leverages Amazon Web Services, Inc. to power new semantic Smart Search, transforming how creators and brands discover visual content 

Alamy’s new Smart Search function, built with Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) optimized infrastructure and Amazon OpenSearch Service, can manage more complex, conversational searches, offering its users heightened relevance and near-instant results to address discovery pain points 

Alamy, part of PA Media Group and one of the world’s most compelling visual marketplaces for brands, agencies, media and production teams, has launched a new advanced image search experience for customers; Alamy Smart Search, built with AWS. The enterprise grade solution blends human insight with AI precision to deliver more relevant search results that can help enhance and accelerate workflows for users.

Smart Search, a new search function available for all signed-in Alamy users, combines traditional keyword matching with advanced vector-embedding technology to bolster user intent far beyond literal search terms. The system synthesizes meaning across Alamy’s library of more than 430 million visual assets, enabling it to surface highly relevant imagery even when the users submit complex, multi-layered, brief-style queries. For customers, this means a more intuitive exploration of Alamy’s extensive library, the near elimination of dead-end searches, and faster discovery.

Early adopters of Smart Search have reported significant improvements in both precision and relevance, empowering them to find the exact content they need with shorter search cycles and meaningful time-savings. Along with searching by text, it allows users to search using an image itself, helping them quickly track down similar visuals or identify where a specific asset has been used before. The semantic search function also surfaces previously undiscovered content, giving customers an additional edge by revealing imagery they may not have encountered before, while offering contributors greater visibility and consideration for the licensing of their work.  

Emily Shelley, CEO, PA Media Group says: 

“Alamy’s Smart Search connects with PA Media Group’s strategy to combine authentic trusted content with innovation, and collaboration that puts the customer at the centre of what we do. This new search function will offer real value to users, while preserving content integrity.”   

David Henderson, Chief Technology Officer, PA Media Group says:  

“Smart Search is built to give customers a better way to find and discover content. It is faster, returns richer results, and helps Alamy users uncover more of the content most relevant to them thanks to improved vector search technology. It is in part a response to the rapidly shifting search behaviours driven by AI and emerging technologies, as well as the need to enhance the user experience, modernize the platform and evolve at scale.” 

Nina Walsh, Global Leader for Business Development, GTM & Solutions – MEGS, Amazon Web Services says: 

“It has been brilliant to witness the evolution and launch of Alamy’s Smart Search project. Alamy’s commitment to thinking big and working backwards from customer demand has led to an innovative solution that will delight users. Using AWS as the scalable and resilient backbone, augmented with AI analysis, has enabled users to connect with authentic and relevant images while significantly improving speed to results. I’m excited to see the future iterations of the Smart Search platform, as well as the continued collaboration between the Alamy and AWS teams that brought it to life.” 

Alamy’s Smart Search is available now for all signed-in users as an optional function. The new tool positions Alamy to continuously expand and elevate its discovery experience. Smart Search is the foundation for innovation, with customers seeing vast improvements in search relevance, platform responsiveness and discovery depth as new AI-driven capabilities roll out. This architecture will unlock more of Alamy’s content library and support the evolving needs of customers and contributors across the marketplace. 

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About Alamy 

Alamy is the world’s most diverse stock photo library with more than 430 million creative and editorial images, vectors, panoramics, illustrations and videos from individual photographers, picture agencies and archives. Its global contributor base supplies upwards of 170,000 new assets daily from 200+ countries worldwide. 

Founded in 1999, Alamy was built on a vision to change the world of picture licensing. The company has successfully developed technical expertise, great customer service, strong photographer relations and a powerful brand story, to deliver a compelling proposition to the world’s picture buyers. 

The library offers creative and editorial stock photography sourced from a network of over 200,000 photographers and videographers and 750 agencies. Its customers span the globe, covering the publishing, advertising, design, corporate and broadcast sectors. 

Alamy’s headquarters are in Oxfordshire and London, United Kingdom. It also has offices in the United States and India.