Solo dev builds AI background removal in Rust without Python in one week

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A solo developer added AI-powered background removal to Convertify, a free image converter, using a fully Rust-based backend without introducing a Python runtime. The implementation relies on ONNX models — the same ones used by the popular Python tool rembg — run natively in Rust via the ort crate, with image processing handled by libvips. The five-step pipeline decodes the image, runs inference to generate a pixel mask, and composites the result as a transparent PNG, all CPU-only on a modest VPS with no GPU. Key technical hurdles included an unexpectedly large 171 MB model file, ort error types lacking Send and Sync compatibility with anyhow, and a mutable self requirement on session runs that forced an architectural change. The developer documented the process publicly as part of an ongoing build-in-public series around Convertify.

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