Google Suspends ‘Ask Photos’ AI Feature in Google Photos

Google has paused the rollout of its AI-powered “Ask Photos” feature in the Google Photos app, citing concerns over latency, quality, and user experience, The Verge is reporting.

The feature, which leverages Google’s Gemini AI models, was designed to allow users to search their photo libraries using natural language queries. Examples include asking, “Where did we camp last time we went to Yosemite?” or “What did we eat at the hotel in Stanley?”

Jamie Aspinall, a product manager for Google Photos, announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the deployment has been halted at “very small numbers” while improvements are made. A revised version is expected in about two weeks, aiming to restore search speed and relevance.

The “Ask Photos” feature was introduced at Google’s I/O 2024 developer conference as part of the company’s efforts to enhance user interaction with AI. It utilizes a specialized version of the Gemini AI model to understand the context of users’ photo galleries, including identifying important people, hobbies, or favorite foods. The AI can then pull out relevant details to help users find specific memories.

In addition to pausing “Ask Photos,” Google has announced improvements to the existing keyword search in Photos. Users can now use quotation marks for exact matches or search broadly for visual and text-based matches. This enhancement aims to provide more accurate and relevant search results within the app.

This is not the first instance where Google has paused the rollout of an AI-powered feature. The company previously halted the “AI Overview” in Search due to inaccuracies and suspended the Gemini-generated images feature due to historical misrepresentations.

Users interested in trying out “Ask Photos” can sign up for the waitlist through Google Labs. The feature is currently available to select users in the U.S., with plans to expand access after addressing the identified issues.