asanAI: In-Browser, No-Code, Offline-First Machine Learning Toolkit

[Submitted on 7 Jan 2025]

View a PDF of the paper titled asanAI: In-Browser, No-Code, Offline-First Machine Learning Toolkit, by Norman Koch and Siavash Ghiasvand

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Abstract:Machine learning (ML) has become crucial in modern life, with growing interest from researchers and the public. Despite its potential, a significant entry barrier prevents widespread adoption, making it challenging for non-experts to understand and implement ML techniques. The increasing desire to leverage ML is counterbalanced by its technical complexity, creating a gap between potential and practical application. This work introduces asanAI, an offline-first, open-source, no-code machine learning toolkit designed for users of all skill levels. It allows individuals to design, debug, train, and test ML models directly in a web browser, eliminating the need for software installations and coding. The toolkit runs on any device with a modern web browser, including smartphones, and ensures user privacy through local computations while utilizing WebGL for enhanced GPU performance. Users can quickly experiment with neural networks and train custom models using various data sources, supported by intuitive visualizations of network structures and data flows. asanAI simplifies the teaching of ML concepts in educational settings and is released under an open-source MIT license, encouraging modifications. It also supports exporting models in industry-ready formats, empowering a diverse range of users to effectively learn and apply machine learning in their projects. The proposed toolkit is successfully utilized by researchers of this http URL to swiftly draft and test machine learning ideas, by trainers to effectively educate enthusiasts, and by teachers to introduce contemporary ML topics in classrooms with minimal effort and high clarity.