The ability to search for specific images in Google Photos has always been a major strength of the app, which is used by nearly 500 million people each month. Until now, this function has mainly relied on the use of keywords. However, the quantity of images uploaded is increasing exponentially: every day, more than 6 billion photos are added to the platform. Crazy growth, which makes it increasingly difficult to find special memories such as birthdays or family events, among thousands of photos.
Sorting out the photo shoebox
Google has therefore strengthened the Photos search engine. Now, users will be able to submit more descriptive queries in natural language, like “ Alice and I at the beach » or « Kayaking on a lake surrounded by mountains ”, without having to rely on specific keywords. This improvement is made possible thanks to advances in natural language processing. Additionally, results can be sorted by date or relevance to refine the search.
Available for a few weeks in English on Android and iOS, this function will be offered in other languages in the coming months.
Alongside this improvement to classic search, Google has begun rolling out a new feature called “Ask Photos,” which was unveiled at the Google I/O conference last May. This assistant is powered by Gemini, Google’s language model. The idea is to replace traditional research with a conversation.
Users can ask questions about photos in a natural way. For example, if you took some photos on a trip to Iceland a few years ago but can’t remember the name of your hotel in Reykjavik, just ask Gemini. If a photo of the hotel has been taken, Ask Photos will display the image providing additional information, such as date and location.
According to Google, this feature can also generate listings based on your images. For example, if you visited Japan and want to share your highlights with a friend, you can ask “Ask Photos” to create a list of “ 10 Best Things I Did in Japan“. Gemini will analyze your photos and create a list that you can then share.
Google is taking a cautious approach to launching this assistant. The feature is currently in testing as part of Google Labs, and only certain users in the United States have access to it. A waiting list is available for those who want to act as guinea pigs.
Source: www.journaldugeek.com
