‘Ask Photos’, the new AI-powered image search tool unveiled at Google I/O 2024, is now in its testing phase. This cutting-edge feature, which makes use of Google’s Gemini AI, enables users to search their photo libraries using natural language queries, doing away with the need to pre-categorize or tag images.
9to5 Google was the first to reveal that the feature is being tested. It appears that a small number of users are being asked to test it out and provide feedback prior to a wider rollout.
Essentially, ‘Ask Photos’ boosts Gemini’s capacity to extract visual data from a user’s photo collection. The AI can go through photos, most likely ones on a device or in an album, after being granted permission from the user.
Now, this may lead to assumptions that the feature simply utilizes keyword detection. However, there’s more to it. Ask photos can respond to queries from users. For example, CEO Sundar Pichai demonstrated at the first Google I/O how he could use it to ask his phone for his license plate number, and it would respond with a picture of it from his album.
The testing version of “Ask Photos” was discovered recently by a Pixel 8 Pro user. The feature now shows up as an ‘Ask’ button next to the search bar on the Search tab, instead of having its own tab as it did in the official demo. Pressing this button opens a new interface where users can enter their queries and see sample prompts.
The testing has revealed that the feature does have a few bugs that need to be ironed out. Google 9to5 shared that the example prompt “Photos of me over time” caused a technical error, which implies that there is room for refinement. Not too long after the feature was discovered, it vanished for the user, indicating more research and development before its official release.
Although “Ask Photos” hasn’t gone live yet, the fact that it did so for a brief period of time during this “study” suggests that it may happen soon.
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