Google Photos gains generative AI: Now move around subjects within images

With Magic Editor, users will be able to edit specific parts of photos like the background and foreground.

The tool will be coming to Pixel phones later this year (Image: Google)

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Google Photos has been leveraging the power of AI to edit your photos for years now, with features like Magic Eraser that removes entire objects from the frame and Photo Unblur as a remedy for shaky hands. But at the I/O 2023 event, the company gave a sneak peek at a new feature powered purely by generative AI for editing and “reimagining” your photos.

With Magic Editor, you will be able to edit specific parts of photos, like the background and foreground, or move the subject around the frame so that they are in focus. The tool will even generate new content to fill in the gaps that are left after you reposition your subject.

During the I/O event, Google showed off how the Magic Editor could be used to improve a shot of a person standing in front of a waterfall. While the shot tried to capture the person in a way that they were ‘holding’ the waterfall, they weren’t positioned right. Magic Editor fixed that in a jiffy, by moving the person toward the right of the frame.

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The demo also helped remove a backpack’s strap from the subject’s shoulder (Image: Google)

Also read | I/O 2023: All the big announcements from Google’s developer conference

The tool appears to work in a way similar to the image cutout feature Apple introduced with iOS 16 last year, which essentially cuts out the subject in the foreground of the photo. However, unlike iOS 16, which lets you copy and paste the subject into other photos/apps, Magic Editor is for moving them around within the same photo while filling in any gaps that may arise consequently.

A second demo showed a kid sitting on a bench holding balloons. Since the bench was too far to the left, several balloons were out of the frame. Magic Eraser not only pulled the bench into the center, but also imagined what the cropped-out balloons would look like, creating a more balanced image. Then as a final touch, the tool brightened the sky and ‘fixed’ the weather.

Notice how Magic Editor imagines what the missing balloons must look like (Image: Google)

Google says it will release Magic Editor later this year as an early access for Pixel phones while warning that the tool may not always produce the results you imagined. Of course, following a period of beta testing, the tool will be expanded to support more devices. But Google hasn’t shared a timeline as such to hint when we can expect that to happen.

It also isn’t clear if the feature will be locked behind a Google One subscription just like Magic Eraser. Still, if you have a Pixel phone, you’d likely be able to enjoy it for free.