Google Photos will reportedly get the long-awaited Ask Photos feature in a limited release in the US. The artificial intelligence (AI) feature powered by Gemini was first introduced at Google I/O in May. Last month, the company confirmed that the feature would be delivered in early access, and according to a report, users have started seeing the feature on their devices. Namely, the feature allows users to search for specific images within Google Photos by sending a conversational query to Gemini.
Ask for photos in Google Photos
According to a report by Phone Arena, the Ask Photos feature is now available for several Android users in the US via a supply-side update. It will appear in the lower right corner of Google Photos and will replace the Search tab. The tech giant opened a waiting list to claim early access to the feature last month, and those who joined the waiting list are now getting the feature.
The Google Photos feature, which is available on both Android and iOS devices, allows users to make conversational queries to pinpoint a specific image stored in the user’s cloud storage. Users can ask detailed queries that span multiple sentences or vague queries with some basic information about the image, and the AI will be able to retrieve the right image. Users can also ask additional queries in case the AI can’t find an image on the first try.
According to Google, the AI feature also focuses on user privacy. As the company previously stated, user data, including queries posted on Ask Photos, will not be used for ads. Queries can be reviewed by humans, but this will be done after the user account is disconnected.
The publication also shared a screenshot of the feature preview page, which highlighted how the tech giant processes data in Google Photos to allow users to run natural language queries on them. According to the company, it generates text descriptions for images and videos, uses facial recognition and compiles location and time-stamped data to add context (such as the user went on vacation to Goa between October 1 and 5) and assesses the relationship of other people in the gallery with the user based on their pictures.