"Hey, Touch Up this Picture": Google Makes Photoshop Obsolete
Google has just unveiled its range of Pixel 10 smartphones. As always, this was accompanied by the announcement of cool new AI functions. One really powerful new feature relates to Google Photos and image editing — and could give the competition a real headache.
The unveiling of the Pixel 10 series included four smartphones, a pair of earbuds, and a smartwatch — in other words, plenty of stuff. It may have gone somewhat unnoticed that the Palo Alto company also announced an update to the Google Photos app simultaneously. This is important to note: This function is only available for Pixel 10 owners in the USA for now. However, it's worth taking a look at what type of innovation Google has revealed.
Image Editing as Easy as ABC
Functions such as the Magic Eraser have already made users' jaws drop in droves. With the "edit by asking" function, Google is now taking this to a whole new level. You do exactly what the name promises: you edit your pictures by simply asking the phone to do so. Just ask the app: "Make the picture brighter".
For an old photo, how about something like: "Please restore the picture"? That would be enough to get the job done. You can also ask: "Please remove the people in the background" or something similar. Simply speak (or type) as you please, and you can even combine several instructions: "Make the picture a little brighter with more contrast, and please remove the reflections".
As you can see, you no longer have to wade through various menus to find the right setting or experiment with sliders. A voice command is enough, and Google Photos implements the change as desired.
This is cool even if you have no idea how to enhance a picture. Just say: "Improve the photo" and see what happens. Logically, you can then edit the picture further using additional commands until you like the final product.
Game changer or AI gimmick?
Does this mean that professional tools such as Adobe Photoshop are now in danger? Probably not if you use Photoshop professionally, as it already has powerful AI tools on board. However, Photoshop really doesn't have a function that allows you to edit images using speech alone.
Anyone who tends to edit snapshots with various photo apps might wish that this tool from Google would also be available on their smartphone. In any case, Google Photos is significantly enhanced by this function. We can only hope that Google will extend the feature to other models and countries. At the moment, you absolutely need a Pixel 10 for this photo magic.
Incidentally, Google has introduced even more exciting AI functions for the Pixel 10, including for photos. Read here what else the Pixel 10 software will surprise you with.
