Key Takeaways
- Google Gemini now allows users to edit uploaded photos using simple text commands.
- This new feature makes advanced AI image manipulation accessible to many.
- Concerns remain about the potential misuse of AI tools to create misleading images.
- Google is experimenting with adding visible watermarks to images created or edited with Gemini AI.
- The editing feature is rolling out to most Google account users globally.
Artificial intelligence is quickly changing how we interact with images. Following the buzz around ChatGPT’s image creation tools, Google is enhancing its own AI, Gemini, with powerful photo editing capabilities.
Google Gemini now lets you upload your own pictures and modify them just by describing the changes you want in text. This makes sophisticated editing, once the domain of complex software, incredibly simple.
Imagine taking a photo and asking Gemini to change the background, add an object, or even alter someone’s appearance. According to BGR, the results can significantly transform an image, potentially creating entirely fabricated scenes from real photos.
This ease of manipulation raises concerns about the potential for creating convincing fake images or deepfakes. While these tools showcase the power of AI, their availability requires careful consideration of safety.
Recognizing these concerns, Google is taking a step towards transparency. Alongside existing invisible digital watermarks (SynthID), the company is testing visible watermarks on images generated or edited by Gemini.
While a visible watermark might be cropped out, it represents an effort to signal when an image has been AI-altered, adding a layer of potential caution for viewers.
Using the new Gemini feature is straightforward. You upload a photo within the Gemini app or web interface and type instructions like “add a hat to the dog” or “change the background to a beach.”
Google illustrated this by showing a Dalmatian photo first edited to wear a cap, and then placed in a completely different, AI-generated environment. Another example showed using Gemini to create illustrated images for a children’s story.
While the possibilities seem vast, Google maintains safety filters, meaning Gemini might refuse certain requests or edits deemed inappropriate.
This native image editing capability started rolling out recently and is becoming available to Google account holders worldwide, with the exception of Workspace and Education accounts. You can access it through the Gemini website or mobile apps once the update reaches you.
