Google will help you find AI-edited images in Google Photos
Google Photos will now be able to identify images generated or edited with AI, flagging them in the metadata section. The update will be released next week.
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Editing photos has become very easy with AI. Whether it’s simply cropping a photo or using more advanced tools like removing unwanted objects or adjusting lighting, AI-powered tools like Google’s Magic Editor and Magic Eraser made photo editing accessible to everyone Is. But as more people use these AI tools, Google is now introducing new ways to make it clear when an image has been altered using AI.
Starting next week, Google Photos will start showing if a photo has been edited with an AI tool. This update comes as part of Google’s efforts to be more transparent about its use of AI, especially in photo editing, as guided by their AI Principles. The app will provide this information in the metadata section, where users can already see details like file name, location, and backup status.
Currently, photos edited using AI-powered tools like Magic Editor, Magic Eraser and Zoom Enhance already include metadata following the technical standards set by the International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC). This metadata shows that generative AI was used in the editing process. With the new update, this information will be more visible, helping users more easily identify when AI has played a role in enhancing or altering a photo.
But Google is not stopping here. For images that are composed of elements from different photos, such as those created using non-generative AI features, the app will also provide greater clarity. For example, features like “Best Take” on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 and “Add Me” on the Pixel 9, which combine images taken within a short time frame to create a single composite image, will now carry metadata that it Will indicate that the image was created using these tools. The purpose of this transparency is to help users understand how their photos are created, especially when AI is involved.
Google says that this is just the beginning. The company is still working on refining these transparency measures and will continue to collect feedback to ensure they provide more details about AI editing in the future. As AI becomes more integrated into photo editing, these changes are a step towards ensuring users know exactly how their images have been altered.
