, , , , , , ,

Google Photos to gain a new ‘Magic Editor’ feature powered by generative AI

Google Photos is expanding its use of AI to help users edit and enhance their photos. While the company has already leveraged AI for its tools like the distraction-removing Magic Eraser and corrective Photo Unblur features in Photos, it’s now turning to AI for more complex edits with the introduction of Magic Editor. The new tool will combine AI techniques, including generative AI, for editing and reimaging photos, says Google.

The company offered a sneak peek at the new experimental feature at this week’s Google I/O developer conference to show off its capabilities.

With Magic Editor, users will be able to make edits to specific parts of the photos — like the foreground or background — as well as fill in gaps in the photo or even reposition the subject for a better-framed shot.

For example, Google showed off how Magic Editor could be used to improve a shot of a person standing in front of a waterfall.

In a demo of the technology, a user is able to first remove the other people from the background of the photo, then remove a bag strap from the subject’s shoulder for a cleaner look. While these types of edits were previously available in Google Photos via Magic Eraser, the ability to reposition the subject is new. Here, the AI “cuts out” the subject in the foreground of the photo, allowing the user to then reposition the person elsewhere in the photo by dragging and dropping.

Image Credits: Google

This is similar to the image cutout feature Apple introduced with iOS 16 last year, which also could isolate the subject from the rest of the photo in order to do things like copy and paste part of the image into another app, grab the subject from images found through Safari search, or position the subject of the photo in front of the clock on the iOS Lock Screen, among other things.

In Google Photos, however, the feature is meant to help users create better photos.

Another demo showed off how Magic Editor’s ability to reposition a subject could also be combined with its ability to fill in the gaps in an image using AI techniques.

In this example, a boy is sitting on a bench holding a bunch of balloons, but the bench is shifted off to the left side of the photo. Magic Editor allows you to pull the boy and bench closer to the photo’s center and, while doing so, it uses generative AI to create more of the bench and the balloons to fill in the rest of the photo. As a final touch, you can brighten the sky behind the photo so it’s a brighter blue with white fluffy clouds, rather than the gray, overcast sky of the original.

Image Credits: Google

The sky-filling feature is similar to what various other photo-editing apps can do, like Lensa or Lightricks’ Photoleap, to name a couple. But in this case, it’s included with users’ main photo organizing app, instead of requiring an additional download of a third-party tool.

The result of the edits, at least in the demos, is that of natural-looking, well-composed images, not those that look like they’ve been heavily edited or AI-created, necessarily.

Google says it will release Magic Editor as an experimental feature later this year, warning that there will be times when it doesn’t quite work correctly. The tests and user feedback will help the feature to improve over time, as users now edit 1.7 billion photos each month using Google Photos, the company said.

It’s unclear if Google will eventually charge for this feature, however, or perhaps make it a Pixel exclusive. Possibly, it will make Magic Editor a Google One subscription perk, as it did with Magic Eraser earlier this year.

The feature will initially become available to “select” Pixel devices, but Google declined to share which phones will receive it first.

The company said it also plans to share more about the AI tech under the hood when it gets closer to the early access release of the feature, but won’t go into detail now.

Read more about Google I/O 2023 on TechCrunch

Google Photos to gain a new ‘Magic Editor’ feature powered by generative AI by Sarah Perez originally published on TechCrunch

https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/10/google-photos-to-gain-a-new-magic-editor-feature-powered-by-generative-ai/


November 2024
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
252627282930  

About Us

Welcome to encircle News! We are a cutting-edge technology news company that is dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest in everything tech. From automobiles to drones, software to hardware, we’ve got you covered.

At encircle News, we believe that technology is more than just a tool, it’s a way of life. And we’re here to help you stay on top of all the latest trends and developments in this ever-evolving field. We know that technology is constantly changing, and that can be overwhelming, but we’re here to make it easy for you to keep up.

We’re a team of tech enthusiasts who are passionate about everything tech and love to share our knowledge with others. We believe that technology should be accessible to everyone, and we’re here to make sure it is. Our mission is to provide you with fun, engaging, and informative content that helps you to understand and embrace the latest technologies.

From the newest cars on the road to the latest drones taking to the skies, we’ve got you covered. We also dive deep into the world of software and hardware, bringing you the latest updates on everything from operating systems to processors.

So whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a business professional, or just someone who wants to stay up-to-date on the latest advancements in technology, encircle News is the place for you. Join us on this exciting journey and be a part of shaping the future.

Podcasts

TWiT 1007: All the Hotdogs in the World – China's 'Salt Typhoon' Hack, Google on the Chopping Block, Recall AI This Week in Tech (Audio)

In this episode of This Week in Tech, the panel tackles the "biggest hack in US history," the future of AI, and the role of government in tech. From the Chinese hack's implications to Microsoft's AI-powered Recall, the Supreme Court's tech-related cases, and the push for social media age verification, Leo Laporte, Patrick Beja, Wesley Faulkner, and Alex Wilhelm provide insightful analysis and lively discussion on the most pressing issues facing the industry today. China's "Salt Typhoon" hack, dubbed the "worst hack in our nation's history," which compromised US telecommunications infrastructure and allowed surveillance of high-profile individuals The panel debates the challenges of securing outdated infrastructure and the role of government in regulating tech companies DOJ's push for Google to sell off Chrome to break its search monopoly, and the potential implications for competition and innovation Alex Wilhelm's article "If you like startups, you should love anti-trust" and the importance of fostering competition in the tech industry Microsoft's Windows 365 Link, a $349 mini PC that streams Windows from the cloud, and the potential for thin client computing Microsoft's Recall AI feature, which records and indexes users' screen activity, raising security concerns but offering potential benefits for users The Supreme Court's involvement in cases related to Facebook's Cambridge Analytica data breach and the fate of America's low-income broadband fund The panel also discusses their personal experiences with parenting in the digital age and the challenges of balancing screen time, privacy, and education for children Meta's push for Apple and Google to verify users' ages on social media platforms, and the challenges of implementing effective age verification while protecting user privacy Amazon's talks with Instacart, Uber, Ticketmaster, and others to enhance its AI-powered Alexa assistant Spirit Airlines filing for bankruptcy amidst financial losses and mounting debt payments Alex laments the addition of ads to Amazon Prime Video and the panel debates the tradeoffs of bundled subscription services Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Patrick Beja, Wesley Faulkner, and Alex Wilhelm Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: Melissa.com/twit shopify.com/twit veeam.com lookout.com bitwarden.com/twit
  1. TWiT 1007: All the Hotdogs in the World – China's 'Salt Typhoon' Hack, Google on the Chopping Block, Recall AI
  2. TWiT 1006: Underwater Alien Civilizations – Bluesky Growth, Tyson Vs. Paul, AI Granny
  3. TWiT 1005: $125,000 in Baguettes – iPod Turns 23, The $1.1M AI Painting, Roblox
  4. TWiT 1004: Embrace Uncertainty – Political Texts, Daylight Saving Time, Digital Ad Market
  5. TWiT 1003: CrabStrike – Delta Sues Crowdstrike, Hospital AI, Surge Pricing