Google Photos adds AI features for ‘remixing’ photos in different styles, turning pics into videos

Google Photos is stepping into the realm of artificial intelligence with exciting new features designed to enhance users' creativity with their cherished memories. On Wednesday, the tech giant unveiled a series of updates that enable users to transform their photos into engaging videos and 'remix' images into various artistic styles, such as anime, comics, sketches, and 3D animations. To streamline access to these innovative tools, Google is launching a dedicated 'Create' tab within the Photos app. This new section will house the recently introduced features alongside existing tools for creating collages, highlight videos, and more. With over 1.5 billion users, this update brings the power of AI to a wide audience, including those who may not have previously explored AI's creative potential. Google is eager to refine these experimental features, inviting users to provide feedback by rating the AI-generated images and videos with thumbs-up or thumbs-down responses. This user input will be invaluable in enhancing the overall experience and functionality of the products. Among the standout features is the photo-to-video functionality, which allows users to create short video clips from their images using the advanced Veo 2 model. This capability aims to simplify the animation of cherished family photos, a trend that has previously driven interest in apps like MyHeritage. By selecting a photo, users can choose between prompts like 'Subtle movements' or 'I’m feeling lucky' to generate a six-second video. Launching in the U.S. for Android and iOS users today, the photo-to-video feature is just the beginning. The new Remix option, powered by Google’s Imagen AI model, will enable users to transform any selected photo into a different style in seconds, with availability expected in the coming weeks. Both features will incorporate an invisible SynthID digital watermark to signify that the outputs are AI-generated, a practice already in use with other AI tools in Google Photos. Additionally, generated videos will carry a visual watermark akin to those produced by Gemini. The 'Create' tab is set to debut in the U.S. in August, with Google promising to enhance it over time by adding new tools and refining the existing options. These AI features were unveiled alongside similar innovations for YouTube Shorts, which is also launching a photo-to-video option and new AI effects powered by Veo 2, with access to Veo 3 anticipated later this summer.