AIDeveloper: deep learning image classification in life science and beyond

Publications on artificial intelligence (AI)-based image analysis have increased drastically in recent years. However, all applications use individual solutions highly specialized for a particular task. Here, we present an easy-to-use, adaptable, open source software, called AIDeveloper (AID) to train neural nets (NN) for image classification without the need for programming. The software provides a variety of NN-architectures that can be simply selected for training. AID allows the user to apply trained models on new data, obtain metrics for classification performance, and export final models to different formats. The working principles of AID are first illustrated by training a convolutional neural net (CNN) on a large dataset consisting of images of different objects (CIFAR-10). We further explore the potential of AID by training a model to distinguish areas of differentiated and non-differentiated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in culture. Additionally, we compare a conventional clinical whole blood cell count with a whole blood cell count performed by an NN-trained, using a dataset of more than 1.2 million images obtained by real-time deformability cytometry, delivering comparable results. Finally, we demonstrate how AID can be used for label-free classification of B- and T-cells derived from human blood, which currently requires costly and time-consuming sample preparation. Thus, AID can empower anyone to develop, train, and apply NNs for image classification. Moreover, models can be generated by non-programmers, exported, and used on different devices, which allows for an interdisciplinary use.