Google Photos introduces Magic Editor to help users edit and reimagine photos using AI

Google’s photo management application, Google Photos, is on the brink of revolutionising photo editing, bringing forth a new feature called ‘Magic Editor’. Powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI), the tool promises to not only enhance images but alter them fundamentally, creating photographs you always desired.

The innovative Magic Editor tool can execute a wide array of edits, from relocating and resizing subjects to modifying objects and removing unwanted elements. Fancy replacing a dull, overcast sky with a vibrant, sunny one? Magic Editor can make that happen.

Google has a history of integrating AI into their image editing tools, with notable examples including the Magic Eraser for removing unwanted subjects, and Photo Unblur to refine blurry images. However, Magic Editor is a step beyond, adding content that wasn’t initially there, akin to reshooting an imperfectly composed photograph. With its inclusion in the mobile’s photo management app, it’s both accessible and user-friendly, providing a simpler alternative to traditional photo editors like Adobe’s Photoshop.

The innovative editing tool will be introduced in its early stages on selected Pixel handsets later this year, as stated by Google. The tech giant advises that initial results might have minor flaws and invites user feedback to fine-tune the technology.

The Magic Editor offers the option to edit specific parts of the image, such as the foreground or background, or even fill gaps in the photograph. A showcased example demonstrated how a person in front of a waterfall was edited: other people in the background were removed, and the person was repositioned for a more appealing composition.

Another demonstration involved repositioning a lad sitting on a bench with balloons, off to the side of the photograph. Magic Editor allowed shifting the lad and the bench closer to the centre. Using generative AI, the tool created more of the bench and balloons to fill in the rest of the photograph, and brightened the overcast sky for a vibrant finish.

Despite the convenience and potential of Magic Editor, ethical concerns about generative AI are cropping up. The ease of presenting an altered version of reality could undermine the credibility of shared images, blurring the line between real and artificial.

The implications of the Magic Editor are significant, particularly for users seeking to salvage otherwise unusable photographs. While Google remains tight-lipped about potential charges for this feature, or its possible exclusivity to Pixel devices, the Magic Editor is sure to alter the landscape of photo editing, bringing us one step closer to the future of AI-assisted creativity.