Google’s AI-powered Ask Photos feature, which was unveiled at Google I/O 2024, has begun initial testing, as first shared by 9to5 Google. Ask Photos employs Google’s Gemini AI to search a user’s photo library using natural language without first organizing and tagging the image. Google hasn’t shared any release date, but it appears a select group of users are being asked to test it out and offer feedback ahead of a broader rollout.
Ask Photos basically extends Gemini’s ability to analyze the visual information in a user’s photos. The AI can then examine the images, presumably those in an album or on a device that the AI has permission to access and search. This isn’t just a simple keyword search, as the AI can also answer questions posed by the user. For example, in the initial demo at Google I/O, CEO Sundar Pichai showed how he could use it to ask his phone for his vehicle’s license plate number, with the answer coming back from a photo of the license plate in his album.
The version highlighted by 9to5 Google was spotted by a user on their Pixel 8 Pro. Unlike the official demo, where Ask Photos had its own tab, the feature now appears to be available in the search tab via an “Ask” button next to the search bar. Tapping the button brings up Ask Photos as a new interface, including sample prompts and space to type your own answer to the question “What would you like to see?” However, some aspects of the feature are still being tested, as the sample prompt “Photos of me over time” brought up a glitch response and a suggestion to “Use classic search.” Regardless, the feature seemingly disappeared shortly after the user first spotted it.
Google Ask Photos reads license plate numbers from the photo library #GoogleIO pic.twitter.com/ElSEQHrvVwMay 14, 2024
Visual search
Using Gemini to sift through photos obviously benefits users, especially those who have a lot of poorly organized images. Google Photos has some ability to find photos of specific events and people, but applying Gemini’s AI models would greatly enhance the platform’s capabilities. AI would be able to much better discern which photos are in the same location, identify people in different time periods, and organize images based on detailed criteria.
Ask Photos is, ultimately, another facet of Google’s work to integrate Gemini into all of the products and services it offers. Of course, the feature’s apparent limitations and technical issues right now highlight the complexity of doing so. But, when combined with related implementations, such as making Gemini available on Android phones’ lock screens, the bigger picture becomes clearer — even without asking Gemini for help.
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