More transparency for AI edits in Google Photos

We often make edits to our photos to make them pop. Sometimes, that means making a simple change to a photo, like cropping it. Other times, it might involve more complex changes like removing unwanted distractions or objects, perfecting the lighting or even creating a new composition. These used to be time-consuming complex tasks, but AI has changed that — powering editing tools like Magic Editor and Magic Eraser in Google Photos.

As we bring these tools to more people, we recognize the importance of doing so responsibly with our AI Principles as guidance. To further improve transparency, we’re making it easier to see when AI edits have been used in Google Photos. Starting next week, Google Photos will note when a photo has been edited with Google AI right in the Photos app.

Photos edited with tools like Magic Editor, Magic Eraser and Zoom Enhance already include metadata based on technical standards from The International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC) to indicate that they’ve been edited using generative AI. Now we’re taking it a step further, making this information visible alongside information like the file name, location and backup status in the Photos app.

In addition to indicating when an image has been edited using generative AI, we will also use IPTC metadata to indicate when an image is composed of elements from different photos using non-generative features. For example, Best Take on Pixel 8 and Pixel 9, and Add Me on Pixel 9 use images captured close together in time to create a blended image to help you capture great group photos.

This work is not done, and we’ll continue gathering feedback and evaluating additional solutions to add more transparency around AI edits.