Google's Conversational Photo Editor Is the Rare AI Feature People Will Actually Use

"A prototype app called Pixeltone developed by Adobe Research and the University of Michigan showed the possibility of using voice control and touch for photo editing. The top comment on the YouTube video demonstrating the capability is this one, left by a viewer 12 years ago: "Why so much hate? It isn't for the "real" photographer, but for my dad, that sometimes uses Photoshop; this is great.""

"The democratization of powerful photo editing tools has clear dangers, like the ease with which bad actors can use them to propagate disinformation and manipulate the truth. But most of today's editing tools require users to actively seek them out and require skill to use effectively. Google's conversational editor is different. It's powerful, simple, and controlled by plain English. And it's one tap away in your Google Photos library."

""For many people, ChatGPT is a fun novelty," says Chris Harrison, director of the Future Interfaces Group at Carnegie Mellon University. "Some people have adopted it into their workflows, but for the vast majority of people, it's a novelty." Harrison believes Google's new editing tool will be used far more widely-at least by anyone savvy enough to use an Instagram filter. "AI should be making things easier to use, and this is a great example consumers will have a genuine interest in.""

A prototype called Pixeltone demonstrated voice and touch photo editing capabilities. Powerful editing tools are becoming easier to access, lowering the skill barrier for casual users. Google's conversational editor accepts plain-English commands and appears directly inside Google Photos, streamlining the editing workflow. Greater accessibility should boost adoption among everyday users who already use simple filters. Lower friction also raises risks, because easier tools can enable disinformation and malicious image manipulation. Current editing tools often require users to find them and learn skills, but the conversational approach reduces effort and changes the balance between benefit and potential harm.

Read at WIRED