You may have heard of computer vision, a machine's ability to analyze, understand and recognize objects in an image, but did you know that machines can also detect aesthetic qualities in a photograph?

Though beauty can be very subjective, there are compositional rules that determine aesthetic merit in a photograph: depth of field, the rule of thirds, contrast, geometry, and elements that stand out to name a few. 

EyeEm, a startup based out of Berlin, has developed algorithms that are able to spot these qualities and determine whether a photograph is aesthetically pleasing or not.

Below is a list of photos curated by the system. You be the judge.

A bird's eye view of worshippers during Hajj in Saudi Arabia

Photo captured by Rosley

Last minute goldfish shopping for “Haft Seen”, only a couple days before Nowrouz, in Tehran, Iran

Photo captured by Sam Salek

Petra by night

Photo captured by Fabio

Abu Dhabi coastline

Photo captured by Ryan Lim

Nizwa Fort in Oman

Photo captured by Nuchylee

The 7th District 'الحي السابع', in Cairo, Egypt

Photo captured by Syaaa Ariff

Street Vendor at Souq Wagif in Qatar

Photo captured by Luana Ciavattella

Islamic architecture in Marrakesh, Morocco

Photo captured by Armita Ghasabi

A restaurant's outdoor seating area in Lebanon

Photo captured by andrea

Sultan Ahmed Mosque Sultanahmet in İstanbul, Turkey

Photo captured by fatihc

Portrait from Tehran, Iran

Photo captured by Armita Ghasabi

Curious to know more? Ramzi Rizk, EyeEm's Cofounder and CTO, will be speaking at STEP Conference 2017 this April in Dubai. You can buy your ticket here.