Google Photos is getting its most awesome update in years – but there's a catch

(Image credit: Google)

published 10 May 2023

It’s Google I/O day and Sundar Pichai just demonstrated the best photo feature I’ve seen in living memory. A supercharged take on Google’s Magic Eraser called Google Magic Editor.

In the keynote, Pichai demonstrated that the new software could do more than just remove stray clouds or photobombers. The first example featured a lady standing in front of a waterfall pretending to catch the water. To start with, it removed the strap from the lady’s backpack, rendering her coat in via AI. Then Pichai brightened the sky, and the light changed throughout the image to look natural. Finally, he moved her individually while the background stayed still to align her positioning better.

What blew my mind however was the second example on show. An image of a child on a bench holding a bunch of balloons was left of the centre. Recentering the image, Magic Editor used AI to extend the bench and “finish” a part of the image that had been cut off. Can you tell which part of this image is AI generated?

If Google has its way, you might never take a bad photo again, especially when partnering the incredible camera on the Pixel 7 Pro. Well that’s assuming one thing. That you have the right equipment. While we’re not yet certain it’s safe to assume that at least for a while this feature will be exclusive to Pixel phones. Magic Eraser is available to Google One subscribers, but we don’t know if Magic Editor will be just yet.

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Andy was T3's Tech Staff Writer, covering all things technology, including his biggest passions such as gaming. If he had to save one possession from a fire it would be his PlayStation 5. He previously worked for Tom’s Guide – where he got paid to play with ChatGPT everyday. When it comes to streaming, Andy will have his headphones glued in whilst watching something that will make him laugh. He studied Creative Writing at university, but also enjoys supporting his favourite football team (Liverpool), watching F1, teaching himself guitar, and spending time with his dog.