Google Photos Unveils AI-Powered Magic Editor for Pixel 8 and 8 Pro

• Google
• AI Tool
• Google Pixel

"Google brings generative AI to its popular Google Photos app, enhancing photo editing with the Magic Editor feature on Pixel 8 and 8 Pro smartphones."

Google is stepping up its photo editing game by integrating generative AI into its popular Google Photos app. This exciting development comes with the launch of the much-anticipated Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones. The new feature, known as Magic Editor, allows users to make more complex edits, such as filling in gaps in an image, repositioning the subject, and modifying the foreground or background of a photo

Magic Editor in Action

Google first announced the Magic Editor at its I/O developer conference in May. During the meeting, it demonstrated how the feature could seamlessly combine various editing tasks. For instance, Google showcased an image of a person standing before a waterfall. The Magic Editor removed other people from the photo's background and a bag strap from the subject's shoulder, resulting in a cleaner shot. The AI-powered tool then "cut out" the issue and repositioned them in the resulting image, showcasing its impressive capabilities.

In the past, Google Photos users would have to rely on other tools, such as Google's Magic Eraser or professional software like Photoshop, to achieve similar effects. And these processes would often involve more manual edits.

Superior AI Capabilities

The Magic Editor's AI capabilities continue beyond simple edits. In another demonstration, Google showed how the subject of a photo could be repositioned and the rest of the image "magically" filled in by the AI. The Magic Eraser was used to move a boy sitting on a bench while holding balloons toward the center of the photo. The AI then filled in the rest of the court and the city scene behind him, even adding white fluffy clouds in the sky for a more aesthetically pleasing picture.

Google Photos leverages generative AI to make these complex edits. Users need to tap on the object they want to edit, then drag it to move it around or pinch to resize. Contextual suggestions also allow users to change the photo's lighting and background. Moreover, Google's Magic Editor offers multiple output options so users can choose the one they prefer.

Real-World Testing and User Feedback

While the Magic Editor's demo was impressive, the real test will come when it lands in the hands of consumers for real-world testing. Google acknowledges that the Magic Editor, as an experience from its Labs program, is in its "early stages" and may not always produce the desired results. However, with continuous technological improvements and valuable user feedback, the company hopes users will see better results over time.

The testing scale for the new feature could be extensive, given that Google Photos users edit approximately 1.7 billion photos monthly. Even if only a fraction of these are on the new Pixel devices, there's likely to be a wealth of data and edits to learn from.

Additional AI-Powered Features

The Magic Editor is just one of several new AI-powered photo-editing features for the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. Others include Best Take, a feature combining a series of images into a blended image for the best shot, and Zoom Enhance, a generative AI feature that looks futuristic. Google also announced improvements to its existing Magic Eraser feature, which can now remove more enormous distractions from photos. Google confirmed that Best Take, Magic Editor, and Audio Magic Eraser, a feature that eliminates background noise, will be available on Pixel 8 devices starting October 12.