Multimodal AI
OCR
Optical character recognition
Technology that converts text visible in images or scans into machine-readable text.
Example
OCR converts a photographed receipt into searchable text and numbers.
Why it matters
It makes printed or scanned material searchable and reusable without retyping everything.
You'll hear it
“The scan turned an eight into a three.”
Can you control it?
Sometimes
Sometimes. Some products or workflows let you influence OCR, while others keep it fixed or manage it automatically. Check the settings and documentation for the tool you are using.
Common questions
- Can OCR misread a clear-looking document?
- Yes. Fonts, layout or image quality can still cause errors.
- Does it automatically understand the meaning of the text?
- No. Recognizing characters is different from interpreting their claims.
- Can handwriting be harder than printed text?
- Often, yes. Unusual shapes and joined letters can make recognition less reliable.