Google launches an AI-powered Pinterest rival called Keen

Google has quietly launched a new app called Keen, and many are likening it to Pinterest. Technically, the app comes from Google's experimental Area 120 incubator that creates several apps, many of which go nowhere.

It essentially uses Google's machine learning prowess to easily curate topics for you. Co-founder CJ Adams said the idea for Keen originated one night when he and his wife were mindlessly browsing feeds, images, and news for hours on end in between work and sleep. “This is our one precious life,” his wife told him. From there, Adams started to imagine Keen.

From what we can tell, Adams wanted to help create a service that would help him and others focus on things they would rather do, but also cut down on any research time they'd have to invest. Here's how Adams described Keen:

"On Keen, which is a web and Android app, you say what you want to spend more time on, and then curate content from the web and people you trust to help make that happen. You make a 'keen,' which can be about any topic, whether it’s baking delicious bread at home, getting into birding or researching typography. Keen lets you curate the content you love, share your collection with others and find new content based on what you have saved."

The idea is, for every so-called "keen" you create, the service uses Google and machine learning to look for content related to your interests. "The more you save to a keen and organise it, the better the recommendations become. Even if you’re not an expert on a topic, you can start curating a keen and save a few interesting 'gems' or links that you find,' Adams explained.

Keen will supposedly discover more and more related content for you over time. You can also follow keens that others have created. If any of this sounds fun for you, check out Keen on your desktop browser at Staykeen.com or from your Android device using the Keen web app. 

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